• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

2

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI

1

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

2

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
TechSpaceX

Elon Musk’s monopoly over the space race could ‘choke’ the sector if left unchecked, top Lazard investment banker warns

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 13, 2023, 7:20 AM ET
Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre on June 16, 2023 in Paris, France.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, will be pleased with his company's performance—but some fear it may become a monopoly.Chesnot/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

SpaceX rockets are soaring into the skies with ever-increasing frequency, and while it might be a boon for Elon Musk, not everyone’s happy about it.

Recommended Video

Over the past couple of years, interest in—and the untapped potential of—space has captured the attention of some of the biggest names in business: Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Andy Jassy to name a few.

The space race—be it for commercial “tourism” services or to launch satellites for internet—has one clear winner, however: Musk’s SpaceX, with 263 launches to date.

That’s a problem, says Vikram Nidamaluri, managing director of telecom, media, and entertainment at Lazard, because a potential early monopoly could hamstring the industry in the future.

Speaking at the World Satellite Business Week in Paris this week, Nidamaluri said: “I think it’s a huge concern. Having such a dominant launch provider is probably not healthy just in general for the commercial prospects of the industry.”

“No one wants a monopoly choking out one point of the value chain. There are obviously other players that are ramping up capacity but I think the timeline hasn’t moved forward rapidly enough,” he continued, CNBC reports.

Pushing back

During a separate panel, SpaceX’s vice president Tom Ochinero pushed back on being branded a monopoly, pointing out that the company had launched satellites other than Starlink—a subsidiary of the brand.

The company has previously launched satellites for London-based OneWeb, mobile network operator EchoStar, and global communications company Viasat.

Responding to the question of whether SpaceX would launch satellites outside of its own interests, CNBC reports Ochinero said: “We’ve proven that, yeah, we will. We’re a launch company first, we’re here to provide launches.”

Although acknowledging that Starlink—a low-orbit satellite internet service—is a “big internal customer” Ochinero also pointed out SpaceX had previously moved such launches in order to prioritize work for competitors.

“I’m not super worried about this—we’re here to launch,” Ochinero finished.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Who is the competition?

Of those determined to stop Musk dominating the space race, Amazon founder Bezos might have the most motivation.

The long-established rivals have previously sparred about their launches, with Musk claiming Bezos is a “copycat” for founding Blue Origin, an American aerospace manufacturer that will be among three companies that launch Amazon’s Kuiper internet satellites.

Indeed, the rivalry between the pair is so heated that some Amazon shareholders are claiming it may have lost them money: they launched a suit earlier this month alleging SpaceX had been overlooked by the online giant because of the feud.

However, while SpaceX races ahead with the number of launches—predominantly thanks to its “workhorse” model, the Falcon 9—Blue Origin has had just 22.

The closest rival to SpaceX is actually United Launch Alliance (ULA), which has had near 160 launches to date and is creating its own new rocket, the Vulcan.

Speaking at the summit, ULA CEO Tory Bruno also shut down rumors of a monopoly and threw down something of a gauntlet, saying: “I appreciate the sentiment that [SpaceX] will be a benevolent monopoly, I don’t think you’re a monopoly and I don’t think it’s our plan for you to become one.”

About the Author
Eleanor Pringle
By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
LinkedIn icon

Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

PayPal Mafia member and ex-Sequoia steward Roelof Botha joins SpaceX board—reuniting with Elon Musk after decades
Startups & VentureSpaceX
PayPal Mafia member and ex-Sequoia steward Roelof Botha joins SpaceX board—reuniting with Elon Musk after decades
By Allie GarfinkleJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg speaks and holds both hands up while standing in front of a purple background.
Economyspending
Tokens are getting cheaper, but companies are spending even more on AI as a result, top economist warns
By Sasha RogelbergJune 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Jeff Bezos
AIJeff Bezos
‘AI is going to create a labor shortage’: Jeff Bezos sees more jobs being created in the new economy, not less
By Catherina GioinoJune 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Brinker’s CIO spent years rebuilding restaurant tech. Now, the Chili’s operator is ready to explore more AI
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Brinker’s CIO spent years rebuilding restaurant tech. Now, the Chili’s operator is ready to explore more AI
By John KellJune 17, 2026
5 hours ago
jensen
AINvidia
Jensen Huang on his relationship with Trump: ‘calls me in the middle of the night’
By Josh Boak and The Associated PressJune 17, 2026
6 hours ago
Ned Koh turns in his chair, smiling.
AIBrainstorm Tech
A 21-year-old cofounder’s sales pitch to clients begs them to question the company’s results: ‘Do not trust us. Do not trust our model’
By Eva RoytburgJune 17, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
Arts & Entertainment
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
By Christian SyltJune 17, 2026
11 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
9 hours ago
Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
Startups & Venture
Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
By Emma HinchliffeJune 13, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.