Musk buys his own car, SpaceX takes 8% of Cybertruck sales in the U.S., without getting a penny discount

According to Barron’s, SpaceX’s latest S-1 IPO registration statement disclosed:The company spent US$131 million to purchase the Tesla Cybertruck without receiving any discount, and all transactions were based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP).

Based on this amount, SpaceX purchased approximately 1,600 Cybertrucks. This number represents approximately 8% of Tesla’s total Cybertruck sales in the U.S. market in 2025, making SpaceX one of the largest buyers of this pickup truck.

The market generally expects that certain discounts can usually be obtained for large-volume purchases, especially for the two companies that are both under Musk's business territory.

However, the S-1 document clearly shows that,The vehicles were purchased “at Tesla’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price,” and SpaceX did not receive any price concessions.

SpaceX purchased 1,600 Cybertrucks at full price, which objectively provided considerable support for Cybertruck's sales data. The 8% ratio means that for every 12 Cybertrucks sold, about 1 went to Musk's rocket company.

From the perspective of usage, SpaceX requires a large number of working vehicles in daily operations at the space launch site and test base. Cybertruck’s stainless steel body and electric drive have practical advantages in specific scenarios.

However, the full price purchase of US$131 million also raised questions:Is this a reasonable purchase based on actual demand, or is it a "left-hand move to the right hand" when Cybertruck sales are under pressure?

This doubt is not groundless. Cox Automotive data shows that Cybertruck sales in the United States in 2025 will be only 22,037 vehicles, a year-on-year plunge of 48.1%. This is far from the "annual production of 250,000 vehicles" target that Musk had predicted.

In the first quarter of this year, Cybertruck delivery volume dropped by half from the previous quarter, plummeting from 12,991 units in the fourth quarter of last year to 6,406 units. In order to clear inventory, Tesla generally provides additional discounts for Cybertrucks on sale.