Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary said Thursday that investors trying to pick a single winner among SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic are making a mistake, arguing instead for diversified exposure to all three companies. His comments came as shares of Destiny Tech100 (DXYZ), the Tema Space Innovators ETF (NASA), and the Fundrise Innovation Fund (VCX) jumped 11%, 5%, and 5% respectively in premarket trading Thursday, with investors seeking access to private tech firms ahead of their public debuts. OpenAI reportedly filed IPO paperwork confidentially this week and is expected to command a valuation near $1 trillion, while Anthropic has also filed confidential listing plans after revenue surged and profitability improved. SpaceX is pursuing a $75 billion IPO at a valuation of $1.8 trillion in a deal that would eclipse Saudi Aramco's record debut and become the largest IPO ever. The three companies represent the convergence of artificial intelligence and space technology trends that O'Leary believes warrant portfolio-level exposure rather than single-stock bets.
Kevin O'Leary Advocates Diversified Exposure Over Single-Stock Picking
In a post on X, O'Leary said investors are now debating which company will emerge as the biggest winner once the next wave of AI and space IPOs arrives. "My view is that trying to pick a single champion is a mistake," O'Leary said. He highlighted SpaceX's exposure to Elon Musk and Starlink, which has become the company's primary profit engine.
O'Leary also praised Anthropic's Claude AI model: "Anthropic has impressed me personally after rolling out Claude across my organization, it quickly became a tool I use every day." He also added that OpenAI remains "one of the most important players in the space."
"The reality is nobody knows how this race will play out once these companies are public," O'Leary said. "That's why I'd rather own all of them on a diversified basis instead of trying to predict a winner." He added that the "smarter bet" is on the entire trend and not just a single stock.
SpaceX Pursues $75 Billion IPO as OpenAI and Anthropic File Confidentially
OpenAI reportedly filed IPO paperwork confidentially this week and is expected to command a valuation near $1 trillion. Anthropic has also filed confidential listing plans after revenue surged and profitability improved. SpaceX is pursuing a $75 billion IPO at a valuation of $1.8 trillion in a deal that would eclipse Saudi Aramco's record debut and become the largest IPO ever.
OpenAI is still burning cash as it races to build AI infrastructure, while Anthropic continues spending aggressively despite rapid growth. SpaceX remains the outlier thanks to Starlink, which has emerged as a profitable and fast-growing broadband business.
DXYZ, VCX, and NASA Provide Access to Private AI and Space Companies
DXYZ offers exposure to all three names. According to its latest portfolio disclosure, Anthropic accounts for 18.1% of economic exposure, SpaceX represents 14.5% and OpenAI makes up 5.8%. The fund also holds stakes in Databricks, Shield AI, Tenstorrent, Astranis, Stripe, Kraken, Vast Space and Axiom Space, among other private-market companies.
VCX has also emerged as a beneficiary of the private AI boom. Anthropic alone represents 21% of the portfolio, while OpenAI, SpaceX, Databricks, Anduril and Ramp are among its largest positions. The fund has returned more than 63% over the past year and nearly 85% since inception.
The NASA ETF has become another popular way for investors to gain indirect exposure to SpaceX. According to The Kobeissi Letter, assets across space-focused ETFs have surpassed $5 billion, more than doubling since the start of 2026 and rising over 900% over the past year. NASA alone has grown to $2.6 billion in assets since launching in March. SpaceX accounts for 6.9% of the portfolio through a special-purpose vehicle structure, making it one of the fund's largest holdings. The ETF also owns Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Planet Labs, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, EchoStar, Viasat and BlackSky, providing broad exposure to the space economy.
Retail Sentiment Remains Mixed Across Three Investment Vehicles
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was 'neutral' for DXYZ and NASA amid 'low' message volume, while VCX sentiment was 'bearish' amid 'extremely low' message volume.
Over the past year, DXYZ is down 12%, while NASA has gained 24% and VCX has surged 1,053%.
FAQ
Why does Kevin O'Leary recommend owning SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic together instead of picking one?
O'Leary said that trying to pick a single champion is a mistake because nobody knows how the race will play out once these companies are public. He believes the smarter bet is on the entire AI and space trend rather than attempting to predict a single winner. He highlighted SpaceX's Starlink profit engine, Anthropic's Claude AI model, and OpenAI's importance in the space as reasons to maintain diversified exposure across all three.
How can investors gain exposure to SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic before their IPOs?
Investors can access these companies through three investment vehicles. DXYZ holds Anthropic (18.1% economic exposure), SpaceX (14.5%), and OpenAI (5.8%) in its portfolio. VCX allocates 21% to Anthropic and includes OpenAI and SpaceX among its largest positions, returning 63% over the past year. The NASA ETF provides 6.9% exposure to SpaceX through a special-purpose vehicle structure and has grown to $2.6 billion in assets since launching in March.
