The IPO Ghost Town — and Why Private Markets Are Minting Millionaires

by Lance Ippolito | Jun 9, 2026

🚨 I’ll be live at 1:30 p.m. ET 🚨

It’s a very special week with the biggest IPO ever… If you think you’ve missed the boat, think again — we have something in store that will prove quite the opposite so be sure and tune in today [tap to join us for Stonkamania]!

Let me tell you something that’s been bugging me — and it should bug you too.

When was the last time you saw a real IPO? I’m not talking about a spinoff or SPAC — I’m talking about a company that actually matters, like SpaceX coming up this week.

The past few years have been a ghost town for IPOs. Reddit was probably the only one that comes to mind and it’s not exactly a Magnificent Seven company.

Meanwhile, the private markets have been exploding — SpaceX, OpenAI, Enduro, Anthropic, Databricks. These companies are getting flooded with venture capital money and generating 5x, 10x, even 20x returns.

And guess who’s making all that money? Not you. Not me. The people with serious capital.

The Elite-Only Investment Club

Here’s the reality nobody wants to say out loud: Retail investors have little to zero access to these deals. You either need to be a qualified purchaser with $5 million liquid, or an accredited investor with at least a quarter-million.

Everyone else gets scraps.

Sure, you can technically get IPO shares through SoFi, Robinhood or Schwab. But try buying 100 shares of something big — you might get two shares. Maybe one. At $135 per share, that isn’t a position, it’s a souvenir. And on top of that, platforms tack on buffers over the IPO price so you’re not even getting a fair entry.

That frustration creates FOMO, and FOMO makes people do dumb things like chasing IPO day pops. But history shows mega-IPOs often see sharp drawdowns soon after listing — a 30% drop in the first year is the norm. Don’t assume IPO day is the best entry.

Expect volatility and be honest with yourself about whether you can stomach it.

Once these IPOs list, there will be options available within days, and that opens a much smarter path. Instead of piling in at peak frenzy, you can use conservative options strategies, build exposure gradually, and dollar-cost average into a position you actually want to hold.

Just be careful with anything claiming to give “pre-IPO access.” Most of those ETFs and structured products massively underperform and don’t give you real ownership.

And avoid anything promising secret or early access — that’s where the snake-oil crowd shows up.

The Reality of Playing the Long Game

If you want to own a company like SpaceX, you need to think in years, not days. Five or 10 years is a more realistic horizon for a business of that scale. These companies could add trillions in value — we may see another $2.5 trillion in market cap hitting public exchanges, shifting the entire structure of the market and reducing how concentrated the rally has become in a handful of tech names.

There will also be a halo effect around related industries — suppliers, contractors, satellite players and space-adjacent tech will all see increased attention. You don’t have to be part of the private-market elite to benefit. Once these companies go public, stocks and options become the great equalizer if you use them wisely.

So stay patient, stay cautious, stay open-minded. The investors who adapt and keep an eye on the bigger picture will be the ones who actually capitalize on this generational shift — not the ones chasing hype on day one.

If you missed it so far, I’ll be live with Graham, Alex and Nate along with the great Emily Turner as host at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday for a very special SpaceX IPO event.

We’ll give you the full rundown on how we’re playing the biggest IPO of all time!

Order Flow:

This is for informational and educational purposes only. These are not official alerts issued by Lance, but rather some interesting orders picked by the team at Lance Ippolito Trading.

When you look at these plays, always take the market maker move into consideration.

You can be right on the direction but still lose money if the stock doesn’t move enough. That’s where the market maker move comes in clutch.

With puts, they’re often downside hedges in case a stock tanks, especially around earnings. The further out of the money they are, the more likely they are to be hedges.

Also be sure and check when the company’s earnings date is because many of the plays we post here are centered around earnings!

If a stock is really expensive, consider a spread to lower the cost.

And finally, always remember the golden rule when it comes to buying calls: Buy dips, sell rips — and don’t chase!

If a stock’s moved a ton already today, maybe wait for a pullback.

There is inherent risk in trading. Trade at your own risk.

Note: If no date is listed after the month, it’s the monthly expiration (third Friday).

The team at Lance Ippolito Trading

Lance doesn’t want the CCP spying on him, so you’ll never find him on TikTok. Same goes for other social media sites, which are filled with impersonators, scammers and crypto bros.

You can only find him on his personal YouTube Channel — smash that Subscribe button! https://www.youtube.com/@LanceIppolito

And in his private Telegram channel: https://t.me/+-gVwEIwGJhplMTgx

Important Note: No one from the team at Lance Ippolito Trading, New Money Crew or any of its associated brands will ever contact you directly on Telegram.

*This is for informational and educational purposes only. There is inherent risk in trading, so trade at your own risk.

P.S. Counting Down the Days Until the Biggest IPO in History

We’re set to witness the biggest IPO in history this Friday…

Are you ready?