BlackRock vs SpaceX: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
BlackRock reported $24.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $5.6B of net income. SpaceX reported $18.7B of revenue in FY2025 and a net loss of $4.9B.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
BlackRock
BlackRock's revenue grew from $19.37 billion in 2021 to $24.22 billion in 2025, with a dip in 2022 and 2023 when stock and bond prices fell. Revenue jumped 19% in 2025 on higher markets, 9% organic base fee growth and fees from GIP and HPS. GAAP operating income fell 7% to $7.05 billion because of non-cash acquisition expenses and a charitable gift of Circle shares, but adjusted operating income rose 18% to $9.6 billion, a 44.1% margin. The firm returned $5 billion to shareholders in 2025 and raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $5.73 for 2026. In Q2 2026 revenue rose 31% to $7.08 billion, GAAP diluted EPS was $12.19 ($13.91 as adjusted), and planned buybacks were lifted to $550 million a quarter.
SpaceX
SpaceX revenue grew from $10.387 billion in 2023 to $14.015 billion in 2024 and $18.674 billion in 2025, but heavy Starship, Starlink, and AI spending produced a $4.937 billion FY2025 net loss. In Q2 2026, its first quarter reported as a public company, revenue was $7.8 billion (up 92%), adjusted EBITDA was $3.5 billion, net loss was $541 million, and backlog was $47.5 billion. The IPO raised $85.7 billion and a $25 billion bond sale added more liquidity. In late September 2026 the stock traded near $145, for a market capitalization around $1.9 trillion.
Revenue and profit by year
BlackRock
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $24.2B | $5.6B | 22.9% | +18.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $20.4B | $6.4B | 31.2% | +14.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $17.9B | $5.5B | 30.8% | -0.1% | Source |
| FY2022 | $17.9B | $5.2B | 29.0% | -7.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | $19.4B | $5.9B | 30.5% | — | Source |
SpaceX
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $18.7B | -$4.9B | -26.4% | +33.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | $14B | $18M | 0.1% | +34.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | $10.4B | -$4.6B | -44.6% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
BlackRock
- Investment advisory and administration fees
largest stream
Base fees charged on AUM across iShares ETFs, index, active, cash and private markets products.
- Technology services and subscriptions
~8% of 2025 revenue
Aladdin, eFront and Preqin software and data, about $2.0 billion in 2025 and $566 million in Q2 2026.
- Performance fees, distribution and securities lending
variable stream
Performance fees ($305 million in Q2 2026), distribution fees and lending revenue that move with markets, flows and fund results.
SpaceX
- Launch services
Not formally reported
Commercial, civil, and national-security launches priced by rocket, payload, orbit, and service type.
- Starlink consumer broadband
Not formally reported
Monthly subscriptions and terminals for residential and mobile broadband.
- Enterprise and government connectivity
Not formally reported
Starlink enterprise, aviation, maritime, backup connectivity, Starshield, and government services.
- AI infrastructure
Not formally reported
Compute and cloud services from SpaceX's AI segment, formed through the xAI combination; $2.6B revenue in Q2 2026.
Business model and strategy
BlackRock
How it makes money
BlackRock makes money in three main ways. The largest is base management and administration fees, charged as a percentage of the assets it runs across iShares ETFs, index and active funds, cash funds and institutional mandates. The second is technology services and subscription revenue from Aladdin, eFront and Preqin, which reached about $2.0 billion in 2025, up 24%.
Growth strategy
Growth now comes from four places. Private markets: GIP (closed October 2024, about $12.5 billion), HPS Investment Partners (closed July 2025, about $12 billion in stock) and ElmTree (2025) made BlackRock a major infrastructure and private credit manager, and GIP helped lead the $40 billion Aligned Data Centers purchase that closed in July 2026.
Competitive advantage
BlackRock's edge is scale combined with breadth. Running $15.3 trillion lets it price core iShares funds at 0.03% and still post a 44.1% adjusted operating margin in 2025, which smaller rivals cannot match. iShares also offers deep trading liquidity in many ETF categories, which matters to institutions moving large blocks.
SpaceX
How it makes money
SpaceX earns money in three segments. Space sells launches on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, plus Dragon cargo and crew missions for NASA, the U.S. government, and commercial customers ($962 million in Q2 2026).
Growth strategy
SpaceX's growth plan has four parts: add Starlink subscribers and raise enterprise, aviation, and mobile revenue; launch higher-capacity Starlink V3 satellites on Starship; expand national-security work through Starshield and launch contracts (over $6 billion in U.S. government awards in Q2 2026); and scale AI compute capacity, which grew from 400 megawatts a year earlier to 1.4 gigawatts at the end of Q2 2026.
Competitive advantage
SpaceX's advantage is reusability combined with vertical integration. It builds its own engines, avionics, rockets, and satellites, and reflies Falcon 9 boosters many times, which lowers its marginal launch cost below rivals that still expend most hardware. Being its own largest launch customer lets it deploy Starlink at a cadence no other operator has matched, and Starlink revenue then funds Starship.
Questions about BlackRock vs SpaceX
Which company has higher revenue — BlackRock, Inc. or SpaceX?
BlackRock, Inc. reported $24.2B (FY2025), while SpaceX reported $18.7B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, BlackRock, Inc. is the larger business, with SpaceX reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of BlackRock, Inc. vs SpaceX?
BlackRock, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $166.2B, while SpaceX's is $1.92T. SpaceX carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to BlackRock, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — BlackRock, Inc. or SpaceX?
BlackRock, Inc. generates $973k / employee in revenue per employee, while SpaceX generates $826k / employee. BlackRock, Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do BlackRock, Inc. and SpaceX make money?
BlackRock, Inc. and SpaceX generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. BlackRock, Inc.: BlackRock makes money in three main ways. SpaceX: SpaceX earns money in three segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — BlackRock, Inc. or SpaceX?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, BlackRock, Inc. trades at 6.9x P/S and SpaceX at 102.8x P/S. SpaceX commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to BlackRock, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is BlackRock, Inc. bigger than SpaceX?
By last reported revenue, BlackRock, Inc. ($24.2B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to SpaceX ($18.7B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BlackRock vs SpaceX overview