Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 2
SpaceX Buys Cursor for $60 Billion as OpenAI, Anthropic Ties Face Strain
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 2

SpaceX Buys Cursor for $60 Billion as OpenAI, Anthropic Ties Face Strain

3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jul 2

Summary

  • $60 billion gives SpaceX control of Cursor’s assets, contracts and IP, but leaves a central post-deal question: whether the coding startup can keep offering rival models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
  • Cursor’s appeal has long rested on model choice, letting users switch among third-party and in-house systems, while SpaceX ownership could push both Musk’s company and competing labs to limit that openness.
  • Regulatory approval is still pending, and recent precedent cuts both ways: Anthropic previously moved to block Windsurf after OpenAI pursued it, yet Anthropic has since signed a multibillion-dollar compute deal with SpaceX.
  • 10 to 20 times more computing power from SpaceX could help Cursor train stronger models and expand beyond coding, potentially turning it into a broader enterprise AI arm with room for more aggressive pricing.

Insights

As SpaceX acquires AI tool Cursor, will rivals like OpenAI be forced to power their own direct competitor?
With AI writing and reviewing its own code, are we creating a massive cybersecurity blind spot?