Bezos says Blue Origin could pursue IPO in coming years

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said Wednesday that the space company could pursue an initial public offering in the coming years, after it raised $10 billion from outside investors for the first time.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said Wednesday that the space company could pursue an initial public offering in the coming years, after it raised $10 billion from outside investors for the first time.

The company, founded by Bezos in 2000, has been expanding its operations as it develops rockets and spacecraft for commercial and government missions.

Bezos made the comments in an interview with Fox News Channel’s “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

“I think, someday, Blue Origin will have an IPO… It would be several years from now. But it probably makes sense for Blue Origin to be a public company at some point,” Bezos said.

The remarks were Bezos’ clearest indication yet that Blue Origin could seek a stock market listing.

Bezos, who also founded Amazon.com, said he has personally invested $28 billion in Blue Origin since establishing the company in 2000.

The Wall Street Journal reported in September that Blue Origin’s latest funding round valued the company at $140 billion.

The funding was the first time Blue Origin had raised outside capital, after Bezos had largely financed the company himself. Blue Origin has also secured multibillion-dollar contracts with NASA and the US Space Force, including for work on the Artemis lunar program.

Blue Origin aims to resume launches of its New Glenn rocket in December after a launch-pad explosion during a static-fire test in May delayed the programme.

“December of this year, we’re going to fly that vehicle again,” Bezos said.

An eventual IPO would give investors an opportunity to buy into a major private space company, as interest in the sector grows. Rival SpaceX went public in June.