SpaceX bars China, Hong Kong investors from $75 billion IPO

Banks underwriting SpaceX’s planned $75 billion initial public offering were told not to accept orders from investors in mainland China or Hong Kong, according to people familiar with the matter. The guidance applies across the underwriting syndicate, including private-banking clients, because of regulatory and compliance risks tied to US rules on defense-related technology. Some of the people said the move was driven by internal guidance linked to International Traffic in Arms Regulations. SpaceX’s website was also inaccessible from Hong Kong and Shanghai on Friday, showing an error message blocking access from those locations.