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SpaceX raises more than half a billion dollars for Starship, Starlink programs
In the last three months, SpaceX has managed to raise more than half a billion dollars from private investors, money that will likely go directly into the company’s ambitious Starship and Starlink programs.
Despite a huge amount of public focus now placed on SpaceX’s successfully-realized human spaceflight ambitions, said by NASA to have been viewed live by no less than 10 million people around the world, the company is still committed to two extraordinarily ambitious development programs. Known as Starlink and Starship, both are integral to SpaceX’s founding goal of enabling the sustainable expansion of humanity into space.
Starship aims to be the world’s first fully-reusable orbital-class launch vehicle, nominally enabling SpaceX to place 150 metric tons (330,000 lb) in orbit with a single, low-cost launch. With orbital refueling from other Starship tankers, SpaceX could potentially send dozens of people to Mars at a cost that could put a ticket in reach of hundreds of millions of – if not more than a billion – people around the world. Starlink is no less ambitious and aims to blanket every inch of the Earth with high-quality, low-cost broadband internet via a fleet of more than 40,000 satellites. Both share three main similarities: they offer immense technical challenges, require extremely capital-intensive development programs, and may – if successful – enable the sustainable settlement of Mars.
First reported by CNBC after SpaceX amended an SEC filing on May 26th, the news unsurprisingly fell through the cracks less than 24 hours before the company attempted its inaugural NASA astronaut launch. Initially said to have raised $567 million out of a target of $500 million, CNBC later revised their report on SpaceX’s latest round of funding, instead stating that the company had raised $346 million with a $349.9 million funding round.
As it turns out, the initial report was technically correct aside from its assertion that SpaceX was pursuing a $500M raise. Between two separate funding rounds seeking $250 million and $349.9 million, both opened on February 28th, 2020, SpaceX was able to raise $567 million of the $599.9 million it was hoping for from 27 investors. Based on SEC filings, SpaceX has now raised more than $1.6 billion since the start of 2019, nearly all of which has likely gone towards its expensive Starship and Starlink programs.
Incredibly, in just the last five months, SpaceX has managed to launch 360 Starlink satellites, while the next launch – scheduled no earlier than (NET) June 3rd – should give the company an orbital fleet around 475 satellites strong. Admittedly, 475 satellites represent barely more than 1% of the fleet SpaceX will need to realize its full Starlink ambitions, but it’s already the largest operational satellite constellation by more than a factor of two. By Starlink-14, potentially launching as early as August 2020, SpaceX can begin generating revenue by serving customers internet, revenue that – once profitable – could partially or fully fund Starship and Mars settlement development.
In the same period of time, SpaceX has dramatically expanded its South Texas Starship production facilities, built and tested several test tanks past the pressures needed for orbital flight, built and tested three full-scale Starship prototypes, and performed five successful Raptor engine static fires with one of those vehicles.
In short, the company has made extraordinary progress. Thanks to the unprecedented efficiency of Starship and Starlink production and the low cost and reusability of Falcon 9, SpaceX has also done so on a shoestring budget that would make its competitors and national space agencies recoil in disbelief. With another half a billion dollars in the bank and the continued support of Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, SpaceX has likely secured at least another 12-18 months of full-steam-ahead Starship and Starlink development.
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Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles.
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.
Grokipedia’s rapid growth
xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias.
At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”
Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.
Elon Musk’s ambitious plans
With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2.
Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos.
“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”
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Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
More than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3.
The Tesla Model 3 became the most popular used electric car in the Netherlands in 2025, cementing its dominance well beyond the country’s new-car market.
After years at the top of Dutch EV sales charts, the Model 3 now leads the country’s second-hand EV market by a wide margin, as record used-car purchases pushed electric vehicles further into the mainstream.
Model 3 takes a commanding lead
The Netherlands recorded more than 2.1 million used car sales last year, the highest level on record. Of those, roughly 4.8%, or about 102,000 vehicles, were electric. Within that growing segment, the Tesla Model 3 stood far ahead of its competitors.
In 2025 alone, 11,338 used Model 3s changed hands, giving the car an 11.1% share of the country’s entire used EV market. That means more than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3, Auto Week Netherlands reported. The scale of its lead is striking: the gap between the Model 3 and the second-place finisher, the Volkswagen ID3, is more than 6,700 vehicles.
Rivals trail as residual values shape rankings
The Volkswagen ID.3 ranked a distant second, with 4,595 used units sold and a 4.5% market share. Close behind was the Audi e-tron, which placed third with 4,236 registrations. As noted by Auto Week Netherlands, relatively low residual values likely boosted the e-tron’s appeal in the used market, despite its higher original price.
Other strong performers included the Kia Niro, the Tesla Model Y, and the Hyundai Kona, highlighting continued demand for compact and midsize electric vehicles with proven range and reliability. No other model, however, came close to matching the Model 3’s scale or market presence.
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Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Tesla has expanded the Model Y lineup in Europe with the introduction of the Standard Long Range RWD variant, which offers an impressive 657 km of WLTP range.
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Model Y Standard Long Range RWD Details
Tesla Europe & Middle East highlighted some of the Model Y Standard Long Range RWD’s most notable specs, from its 657 km of WLTP range to its 2,118 liters of cargo volume. More importantly, Tesla also noted that the newly released variant only consumes 12.7 kWh per 100 km, making it the most efficient Model Y to date.
The Model Y Standard provides a lower entry point for consumers who wish to enter the Tesla ecosystem at the lowest possible price. While the Model 3 Standard is still more affordable, some consumers might prefer the Model Y Standard due to its larger size and crossover form factor. The fact that the Model Y Standard is equipped with Tesla’s AI4 computer also makes it ready for FSD’s eventual rollout to the region.
Top Gear’s Model Y Standard review
Top Gear‘s recent review of the Tesla Model Y Standard highlighted some of the vehicle’s most notable features, such as its impressive real-world range, stellar infotainment system, and spacious interior. As per the publication, the Model Y Standard still retains a lot of what makes Tesla’s vehicles well-rounded, even if it’s been equipped with a simplified interior.
Top Gear compared the Model Y Standard to its rivals in the same segment. “The introduction of the Standard trim brings the Model Y in line with the entry price of most of its closest competition. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than a Peugeot e-3008 and costs £5k less than an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron. It also makes the Ford Mustang Mach-E look a little short with its higher entry price and worse range,” the publication wrote.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
