HONG KONG, June 5 — SpaceX’s website and IPO marketing documents were not accessible today in Hong Kong and mainland China, a Reuters review showed, a step that threatens to curb participation by investors there in a listing expected to be the world’s largest.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX aims to raise US$75 billion (RM302 billion), the most globally in an IPO, in a deal that would value the company at US$1.75 trillion, immediately vaulting it into the ranks of the 10 most valuable US-listed firms.
The company kicked off marketing roadshows yesterday in New York and its IPO roadshow materials were posted on its website, accessible to users in most major Asian markets, except for mainland China and Hong Kong, the Reuters review showed.
Both institutional and retail investors access a company’s IPO marketing material to better acquaint themselves with the business and financial details of such candidates, to ensure they pick the best investment prospects.
Reuters could not immediately establish why and since when the website of SpaceX, the rocket, satellite and AI company, and the IPO material were restricted in mainland China and the world’s No. 1 wealth hub of Hong Kong.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment outside US working hours.
Citigroup, one of the lead banks, declined to comment. Spokespeople for the IPO’s other lead banks, Bank of America , Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Could be first US market debut above US$1 trillion
The SpaceX IPO has generated global interest and the listing could become the first US market debut in excess of US$1 trillion, which would immediately make it one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies.
Besides a long list of Wall Street giants, Japan’s Mizuho and Macquarie Capital in Australia are involved in managing SpaceX’s IPO in Asia Pacific, the roadshow presentation showed.
An “Error 1009” message was displayed in response to attempts to access the company website and marketing material both in mainland China and the global financial centre of Hong Kong, the Reuters review showed.
Web security provider Cloudflare said the most common explanation for the error was that the website owner “has banned” the country or region of the related IP address from access.
Such a block is usually a company decision, said Francis Fong, honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation.
While Hong Kong users have also been unable to access some US government websites in recent years, such cases are rare for major companies, he added.
Musk is a household name in China, the world’s second-largest economy, where the success of his Tesla electric vehicles makes him one of the most popular foreign business figures.
Jeffery Chan, a managing director at Hong Kong’s Central Asset Investments, said the access restrictions could be due to SpaceX’s status as a defence contractor, adding that Chinese investors have not typically been a target market for the company.
“For local retail investors, getting a direct piece of the IPO book is going to be incredibly tough. But for regional institutional funds, the pipeline will likely run through standard US bookbuilding,” he said.
In February, two Democratic US senators urged the Pentagon to conduct an immediate review of SpaceX amid accusations that Chinese investors had secretly acquired stakes in the closely held rocket maker, citing potential national security risks. — Reuters
The adorable bottle is only part of what makes this a fun and convenient way to protect yourself from UV rays.
The calendar says we’re still in spring, but the thermometer shows that summer is almost here. With temperatures in Tokyo hitting 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) last weekend, we’re closing in on the time of year when some form of sun protection is a must for many when going outside, which in turn means the time of year when many find themselves thinking “I really should put on some sunblock…but it’s a hassle, so maybe I’ll just skip it…”
Thankfully, Japan’s Biore brand of sunblock is here to give us a little extra nudge towards taking the time to apply protection with its Kids Stamp UV.
Yes, the name does reveal that this was created first and foremost with kids in mind, but the appeal of cats knows no age limits, and unlike, say, children’s medicine, Kids Stamp UV is just as effective for adults as it is for children, with an SPF50 PA+++ rating.
Right away, the cute feline-eared design for the bottle catches the cat-loving eye, and things get even better when you flip open the cap.
Instead of a single opening, Kids Stamp UV has five, arranged in the pattern of a cat’s paw pads. The bottle is also designed so that instead of squeezing out a stream of liquid, you use it like a stamp, tapping it against your skin to apply the sunblock directly…
…and when you do, you get a series of paw prints, like a little kitty has been walking across your arm, leg, or cheek.
You do still need to rub the lotion in, but while there’s some initial stickiness, it quickly fades away and the Kids Stamp UV sunblock dries nicely, leaving no significant greasiness behind.
If you have kids, a big advantage of Kids Stamp UV is how it makes the process of applying sunblock fun. Our Japanese-language reporter Ninoude Punico tried it out with her 6-year-old, and it immediately turned the regular session of “Sit still! You need this!” into a much more relaxed and happy “OK, let’s get our cat prints on before we go out.”
As a matter of fact, with how easy the sunblock is to apply because of the stamp-style top, Punico’s kid has even started using it without Mom’s help.
▼ The instructions, complete with adorable illustrations, say to apply one “stamp” every 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) or so.
Of course, Biore’s cute and clever design is just as fun and convenient for adult cat fans as it is for kids, and with Japan being the land of kawaii culture, you’re not going to get side-eyed by other adults for using it yourself either.
Being jointly developed by Biore parent company Kao and Aeon Retail, Kids Stamp UV is available at Aeon, Welcia, and Tsuruha supermarkets/drugstores, and we’ll be keeping some handy for mountain- hiking, Gundam-viewing, and other outdoor summer excursions.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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