This Week in Startups | Episode 2243: SpaceX + xAI deal gets us one step closer to Musk Industries
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Jason Calacanis
Guests: Alex Wilhelm, Oliver (team), Lucas Durand (team), various team members
Overview
This episode dives into a blockbuster event in the tech world: SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI, the AI company founded by Elon Musk. Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm break down what this means for Musk’s empire, the future of AI, outer space data centers, potential company consolidation, and the technological (and societal) consequences. The second half pivots to demoing and dissecting cutting-edge AI agent skills—especially OpenClaw (formerly Claudebot), an open-source agent platform that’s currently setting Silicon Valley abuzz.
Tone & Style:
Informal, excitable, and nerdy. Jason and Alex mix industry insight with forward-looking speculation, moving between “sci-fi-like” visions and grounded founder advice. Frequent interruptions, lively banter, and deep dives into technical topics shape the episode.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. SpaceX Acquires xAI: Strategic Vision and Mega-Merger
-
Announcement: SpaceX has officially acquired xAI.
(00:00, 01:55) -
Strategic Rationale:
- The combination aims to provide exponential compute power by building data centers in space, powered by abundant solar energy, and enabled by Starship’s unprecedented payload capacity.
- xAI, needing massive compute resources, now has the hardware and orbital access of SpaceX to push AI forward.
- Alex (02:13): “SpaceX can send more mass up to orbit. We can build more data centers up there. XAI needs compute. So we're going to build XAI's AI feature in space.”
-
The Science Fiction Angle:
- Harnessing solar power outside Earth’s atmosphere could radically decrease the cost of running large-scale AI.
- Future possibilities involve lunar manufacturing and electromagnetic mass drivers, enabling massive AI satellites to be deployed deep into space, up the Kardashev scale (a measure of civilization’s energy use).
- Jason (03:43): Quoting Elon Musk, “Within two to three years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space.”
- Jason (05:00): “Now your electricity cost is zero. Your real estate cost is zero… It’s crazy sci-fi. Like this is way out there.”
-
SpaceX and xAI Numbers:
- Starship’s V3 launches will add 20x satellite capacity compared to Falcon.
- SpaceX has over 11,000 satellites up; 9,500 operational. 65% of all satellites now belong to SpaceX.
2. "Musk Industries": Is Full Consolidation Coming?
- Elon’s companies (Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, X.com, Twitter/X) keep merging and combining in multi-hundred-billion-dollar deals.
- Speculation about rolling these all into “Musk Industries”—a mega-conglomerate with possible $2 trillion+ market cap.
- Motivation: Synergy, focus, efficient execution, “one umbrella towards one goal.”
- Jason (10:35): “So now you have to ask yourself, do you want to own Musk Industries? …He’s architecting all of this to leapfrog everybody. This is a level of ambition I don’t think we’ve ever seen in the history of humanity.”
3. Impact on AI, Robotics, and Civilization
- Linking compute in space, AI models, satellite communications (Starlink), and robot manufacturing (Optimus) provides Musk’s organs an unprecedented stack.
- xAI is seen as providing the “brains” for physical robots like Optimus and for remote operations (moon bases, Mars).
- Jason predicts Tesla will eventually be remembered more for Optimus (AI-powered robots) than for cars.
4. IPO Mania and U.S. Tech Dominance
- With SpaceX primed for IPO, possibly combined with xAI, this could become “the most anticipated IPO since Google.”
- Other mega-IPOs (OpenAI, Anthropic) may hit in 2026.
- Riff on “American exceptionalism”: The U.S. continues to lead big tech leaps, while other regions lag.
Memorable Quotes
-
On Musk’s Ambition:
“This is a level of ambition I don’t think we’ve ever seen in the history of humanity.”
— Jason Calacanis (07:46) -
On Civilization’s Progress:
“The capabilities we unlock by making space based data centers a reality will fund and enable self-growing bases on the Moon, and an entire civilization on Mars, and ultimately expansion to the universe.”
— Elon Musk letter, read by Jason (03:43) -
On Open-Source AI Experimentation:
“If you let a bunch of monkeys loose in the tool shed, they cut themselves sometimes. And I broke Claude code by trying to swap to my API key.”
— Alex Wilhelm (36:32) -
On AI Agent Security:
“OpenClaw is not secure and will not be secure in its current form.”
— Oliver (16:54)
Timestamps & Major Segments
[00:00–07:46]
Breaking: SpaceX Acquires xAI
- Rationale for space-based AI compute
- Musk's letter, Starship V3, and dramatic cost reductions
- Introduction to the Kardashev scale and implications for civilization
[07:46–13:13]
Musk Industries Mega-Merger Speculation
- Satellite counts and capacity
- Possible consolidation of all Musk ventures
- Multi-trillion-dollar market cap potential
[13:13–14:44]
Implications for AI, IPO, and U.S. Tech Leadership
- IPO anticipation (SpaceX/xAI, OpenAI, Anthropic)
- America’s unique position in tech innovation
[14:44–50:08]
OpenClaw Mania: The Rise of the Open AI Agent Platform
- Overview of Openclaw (formerly Claudebot), the explosion of “replicants” (AI agents)
- Demos and practical use cases for personal research, RPA (automation), podcast production, and more
Key OpenClaw Skills Demoed (with Examples)
-
Reddit Skill (19:09)
- Finds and surfaces specific recent Reddit conversations and opens them in browser.
-
11 Labs Voice & Gamma Deck Skill (24:59, 26:29)
- Summarizes podcasts, generates AI-powered slide decks, and reads them aloud.
- Lucas (25:37): “So I was actually able to have it read in voice and create kind of, like, a podcast...”
-
Polymarket Skill (33:05)
- AI agents fetch the latest prediction markets, surface surprising bets, and discuss contrarian signals.
-
Last 30 Days Skill (37:01)
- Researches what’s trending online (Reddit/X/web) in the last 30 days on any topic (useful for rapid competitive intelligence).
-
Task Monitor Skill (42:32)
- Tracks what bots are doing, how many tokens are used, logs jobs.
-
Security and Sandbox Discussion (44:00, 46:27)
- Potential for malware in “skills”; recommendation to sandbox agents and avoid connecting sensitive accounts.
- Cautions around crypto/integrations.
-
Other Skills & Integrations:
- LinkedIn scraping, custom Notion integration, recursive agent design (agents learning overnight), etc.
[50:08–59:54]
OpenClaw Open Source Founder/Monetization Debate
- Security disclosures from Wiz: early OpenClaw social features were leaking data.
- Advice for Peter Steinberger (OpenClaw creator) as VCs circle:
- How to structure the first round
- Choose high-integrity investors and balance control.
- Possible biz models: Hosted version, pro services, app store for skills.
- “People can and do fork WordPress… For some it’s worth the money, for others it’s not. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
Noteworthy and Humorous Moments
- Alex Wilhelm geeking out about recursive AI:
“This is when infinite memory gets really exciting, right?” (40:26) - OpenClaw as tech’s wild west:
- “If you let a bunch of monkeys loose in the tool shed, they cut themselves sometimes.” (36:32)
- Discussion about people “burning through” AI credits by accident.
- PolyMarket Bet of the Day:
- AI agent suing a human by the end of the month: 83% likelihood, $300k already wagered!
- Jason and Alex ponder the ethics of taking the other side by having an agent sue someone just to win the bet. (59:54–61:09)
- Open Source vs. Hosted:
- “If you told me I had to pay for the last 30 days, I would just go make it myself and run it myself.” (59:23)
Takeaways for Non-Listeners
- A new Musk mega-company is forming, linking AI and outer space infrastructure in a way unprecedented in business or science fiction.
- The next wave of enterprise and personal automation may be shaped by open-source AI agents, exemplified by OpenClaw and a rapidly expanding “skills” ecosystem.
- The speed of innovation—and risks around agent security and platform openness—mirror early internet days: it’s chaotic, thrilling, and dangerous.
- The episode is as much a celebration of wild ambition and open experimentation as it is a preview of what’s coming next for business, automation, and civilization.
Further Resources
- [SpaceX and xAI Official Announcement/Lettter]
- [OpenClaw (Claudebot) on Github & Clawhub.com]
- [Elon Musk's Letter on Space-Based Compute]
- [PolyMarket: AI Agent Lawsuits Bet]
- [Gamma (AI-powered slide decks)]
- [Founder University business setup resources]
“I predict it’s not going to stop. This thing is taking over the industry.”
— Jason Calacanis (61:30)