By Mare Pagel  |  Been There, Done That  |  October 30, 2026

 

Have you ever noticed that the smaller the company, the bigger the promises in those investment newsletters?

 

A billionaire has supposedly made a secret investment. A tiny company is about to change the world. And ordinary investors have one last chance to get rich before Wall Street discovers it.

 

Oh, and there's usually a countdown clock.

Welcome to 80 Proof, where we investigate the story before considering the stock.

 

The $86 Million Mystery

Recently, I received a promotion claiming SpaceX had wired $86 million to a tiny company and taken a major stake in its most important project.

 

The company worth investigating is Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE: SEI), a business involved in power infrastructure.

The investment promotion linked an $86 million transaction to SpaceX. But the reported transaction involved an investor identified as CTC and a Solaris joint venture. That doesn't establish that SpaceX wrote the check.

So there's our assignment, fellow detectives: investigate SEI, examine the company's filings, and find out what the investment actually means before believing the promotional headline.

 

Interesting? Absolutely.

 

Proof of a terrific investment? Not even close.

 

Before getting excited, I'd want to know the company's name, whether its shares are publicly traded, and what SpaceX actually purchased.

 

An investment in a particular project isn't necessarily an investment in the company itself. And even a genuine business relationship doesn't guarantee that shareholders will make money.

 

The promotion's claim is a starting point for research, not an established fact.

 

Five Questions Worth Asking

Before I get carried away by the next spectacular investment opportunity, I ask:

Who’s the company? Give me a name and a ticker, not a mystery.

Where’s the evidence? Show me official filings, company announcements, or reliable reporting.

How does it make money? Exciting technology doesn’t automatically mean profits.

What’s the risk? Debt, competition, losses, and overpriced shares can spoil a wonderful story.

Who’s selling the excitement? If I must buy a newsletter to learn the secret, somebody’s already making money — and it isn’t necessarily me.

 

Eighty Years and Still Asking Questions

I enjoy investing research. I especially enjoy discovering companies working behind the scenes on new technology.

 

But I’ve lived long enough to know that a good sales pitch and a good investment are two very different things.

 

A little curiosity is healthy.

A little skepticism is even healthier.

And if somebody tells me I must act before midnight?

 

I’ll put the coffee on and investigate in the morning.

 

That’s 80 Proof.

 

— Mare 🌹

 

80 Proof is an educational column, not personalized financial advice. The SpaceX claim discussed here comes from an investment promotion and has not been independently verified.