A SpaceX spacesuit on display at the Great American State Fair on July 2, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
Hello, my name is Hui Jie from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
Elon Musk runs a number of companies, but he is currently considering merging two companies, SpaceX and Tesla, and said they may collaborate in areas such as software and chips.
In the field of artificial intelligence, too, investors are becoming increasingly wary of large sums of money being poured into data centers.
What you need to know today
space x While building rockets and satellites, tesla We are making electric cars. Both have increasingly ambitious plans for artificial intelligence.
Soon, they may become part of the same universe.
On Tuesday, Elon Musk said during SpaceX’s third-quarter earnings conference that a merger between the two companies would be a “good idea,” adding that the boards of both companies had formed special committees to discuss the possibility of a merger.
Musk said that although there are great benefits to bringing companies together, he will not participate in the committee’s deliberations because he is a “conflicting party.”
SpaceX itself reported better-than-expected third-quarter results with revenue of $14.58 billion, beating analysts’ expectations for $12.72 billion.
Adjusted earnings were 45 cents per share, also well above expectations of 13 cents.
While Musk’s companies may make headlines for their accomplishments, he himself faces accusations that he is sabotaging Ukraine’s military as it continues to fight Russian aggression.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, that Musk ordered the slowdown of SpaceX’s version of Starlink, which Ukraine has relied on in its war against Russia.
SpaceX’s CEO “has set limits on the speed at which Ukrainian hardware can remain connected to its satellite-based network,” the newspaper reported. The decision effectively rendered some Ukrainian drones inoperable, the paper said.
One of the people who spoke to the news organization claimed that Musk discussed the matter with multiple Trump administration officials, including the president himself, before imposing speed limits on Starlink.
The AI bill has arrived
While some investors cautiously re-entered the technology sector, there were some signs that enthusiasm was not universal across the AI sector.
Shares in Australian data center operator NextDC fell nearly 40% after the company slashed its 2027 fiscal year earnings forecast, citing delays in procuring additional power for its Melbourne facility.
The company has lowered its sales forecast to A$475-500 million from the previous A$615-640 million. The underlying profit forecast was also significantly revised downward.
In South Korea, AI cloud and data center operator Elice showed new signs of instability. The company’s stock plunged 32% in its market debut on Tuesday, but rebounded nearly 30% on Wednesday.
Japan’s exports are sluggish
In another sign of how different enthusiasms are for the AI sector, Japan’s exports rose 16.7% year-on-year in September, well below market expectations, despite analysts surveyed by Reuters expecting export growth of 20.1%.
Japan’s export growth slowed for the second consecutive month after reaching its highest level in nearly four years in July.
However, growth was supported by continued strong semiconductor exports, with shipments increasing by 49.4% year-on-year in terms of value.
Machinery exports also boosted growth, with shipments of semiconductor-related machinery increasing by 43.9% and exports of power generation machinery increasing by 22.6%.
This week, CNBC brings you interviews with some of the biggest names in the technology industry who attended Nvidia’s GTC Berlin 2026 conference, including Chase Lochmiller, CEO of AI infrastructure and energy company Crusoe, and Marc Boroditsky, chief revenue officer of AI infrastructure company Nebius.
— Lim Huijie
And finally…
Global finance chiefs see new risks and China fears are easing
Global finance chiefs discussed the biggest risks facing the global economy in Bangkok last week, with debt, artificial intelligence and trade imbalances topping the list.
Meanwhile, China, long a major risk factor in these discussions, is no longer at the top of the list of concerns.
CNBC attended the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Check out what our reporters found to be top priorities among financial leaders.
— Anique Bao, Evelyn Chen
