Podcasts · Wall Street Wildlife Investing Podcast

Is the SpaceX IPO a Trap for Retail Investors? + $NU + $MRLN (E136)

14 Jun 2026 · 1 h 05 min · Episode 136

SpaceX is finally going public and it might be the most hyped IPO in a generation. But does that make it a buy, a trade, or a trap? Luke and Krzysztof have completely different plans, and neither one is obvious. This week also covers a tiny autonomous aviation startup that jumped 30% on a massive red day, why Luke dumped $WISE and owns $NU instead, and why the easy money on big IPOs is almost never made by the people watching from home.

🚀 Luke owns SpaceX *already* — but he's locked out, taxed, and has zero control over what happens next. His plan is more complicated than you'd think. $SPCX

🎴 Krzysztof refuses to be a long-term SpaceX holder — and instead wants to swing trade the IPO hype with options. Is he right to ignore the Rocket Lab lesson?

🎯 The musical chairs problem: why retail investors almost always arrive after the easy money is gone — and what to do about it.

🤖 A tiny pre-revenue company called $MRLN (Merlin) jumped 30% on one of the worst market days in months after a US Special Operations milestone. Krzysztof bought it impulsively. Was it genius or madness?

🎓 Is autonomous flying actually *easier* to solve than self-driving cars? Krzysztof makes the contrarian case and braces for pushback from a pilot in the Patreon community.

💰 Luke sold every share of $WISE after the AML scandal deepened and explains exactly why a 2-3 year regulatory headache makes it uninvestable right now, even if the business model is sound.

📊 $NU (Nubank) serves over 135 million customers, more than half of all adults in Brazil. Luke breaks down why it's trading at just 13x forward earnings despite 40% loan book growth, and what the real bear case actually is.

🌴 Krzysztof offers to document his live SpaceX options trades in real time for Patreon Dolphins. Tune in if you want to watch a philosopher-investor try to outsmart the hype machine.

Segments:

00:00:00 The Musical Chairs Problem With IPOs

00:01:06 SpaceX IPO Week — What's Actually Happening

00:05:45 Luke's SpaceX Position: Locked Up, Taxable & Out of Control

00:09:24 Luke's Plan to Build a Real $SPCX Position

00:12:26 Krzysztof's Contrarian Take: Swing Trade the Hype, Don't Own It

00:20:21 $MRLN Merlin Inc — Autonomous Flight for the US Military

00:24:00 Is Autonomous Flying Easier Than Self-Driving Cars?

00:33:39 The Bear Case for Merlin: No Revenue, 200x Sales

00:39:53 Why Luke Sold All His $WISE Stock

00:45:07 $NU Nubank — Banking Half of Brazil at 13x Earnings

00:53:14 The Nubank Bear Case: Loan Book Risk in a Developing Market

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Disclosure: Wall Street Wildlife hosts and guests are not financial advisors, and nothing they say on this show is formal advice or a recommendation

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Keywords:

SpaceX IPO, $SPCX, IPO investing, retail investor traps, IPO hype cycle, Merlin Inc, $MRLN, autonomous aviation, autonomous flight, military tech stocks, Wise AML scandal, $WISE, Nubank, $NU, Brazil fintech, neobank investing, options trading IPO, swing trading, pre-revenue stocks

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