Musk's SpaceX and xAI Merge; French Investigators Raid X Offices
Elon Musk's SpaceX was set to acquire his artificial intelligence start-up, xAI, in a deal that would value the combined entity as the world's most valuable private company, according to the BBC. The deal, confirmed by SpaceX through a memo from Musk posted on its website, aimed to unify AI, rockets, space-based internet, and media under one roof, creating an "innovation engine," Musk stated in the memo.
While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, a source familiar with the matter told the BBC that it valued xAI at $125 billion and SpaceX at $1 trillion.
In other news related to Musk, French investigators raided the Paris offices of his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Sky News reported. Prosecutors widened their probe into the platform and summoned Musk for questioning. Present and past employees, including former chief executive Linda Yaccarino, who left the company last year, were also summoned as witnesses.
The investigation, originally launched last month, would now cover the site's alleged complicity in the possession and distribution of child abuse images, as well as allegations related to other potential offenses, according to Sky News.
Meanwhile, in other business news, Irn-Bru maker AG Barr acquired two rival soft drinks brands, Fentimans and Frobishers, in a deal worth more than £50 million, Reuters reported. AG Barr purchased Hexham-based botanical brewery and fizzy drinks brand Fentimans for about £38 million, funded through a combination of cash and debt. It also closed a deal at the end of its financial year to January to buy Devon-based juice business Frobishers for £13 million. The company said the two brands both reflect the consumer's move away from alcoholic beverages to "adult soft drinks."
In international news, Sweden and Denmark would jointly procure mobile anti-aircraft artillery systems worth €245 million for Ukraine as the country continues to defend against intensifying Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure, Euronews reported. Sweden would contribute 2.1 billion kronor of the 2.6 billion kronor total, with Denmark providing the remainder to supply Ukraine with the TRIDON Mk2 mobile anti-aircraft system, the countries' defence ministers announced on Tuesday. "This is a platform that can take out cr," according to Euronews.
Finally, a new social media network called Moltbook, designed for AI, had garnered attention, according to the BBC. Launched in late January by Matt Schlicht, head of commerce platform Octane AI, Moltbook allowed AI to post, comment, and create communities known as "submolts." Humans were "welcome to observe" Moltbook's goings on, the company said, but could not post anything.
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