The wave of AI companies going public is presented as a growth opportunity, but it functions mechanically as an "exit" for early investors. It allows insiders to cash out and pass the immense financial risks of unprofitable, capital-intensive businesses onto the public market, dubbed "dumb money."

Even when aware of manufactured scarcity and overvaluation, professional investors will buy into a hot IPO. They understand the mechanics will create a predictable price pop, allowing them to profit from the inefficiency before a potential correction, prioritizing gains over market fairness.

In the 1980s, companies like Apple went public early as a fundraising necessity, allowing public investors to capture most of the growth. Today, robust private markets mean companies stay private longer, making IPOs primarily a liquidity event for insiders and VCs, with less upside left for the public.

The traditional purpose of an IPO—raising capital for company growth—is obsolete. Today, companies scale using private equity and only go public to allow early investors and insiders to cash out. This means the public market captures significantly less of a company's early, high-growth phase.

When a high-profile IPO like SpaceX reserves a large portion (30%) for retail investors, it may not be about democratization. This can be a strategic move to offload shares at an inflated price to emotionally invested fans rather than price-sensitive institutional analysts.

The first-day surge in an IPO's stock price represents value transferred from the company to institutional investors who bought at a deliberately underpriced offering price. Retail investors who buy after this 'pop' are often left purchasing inflated shares while insiders cash out on the manufactured frenzy.

An IPO is a liquidity event for early, connected investors to sell to the public. Retail investors, often buying on hype, should view these events with caution, as they are purchasing shares from more sophisticated players who are cashing out.

Gurley argues that investment banks intentionally underprice IPOs to create artificial demand and a day-one "pop." This allows their institutional clients to profit by selling into the retail-driven frenzy, leaving average investors buying at inflated prices.

For many large companies today, an IPO's primary purpose has shifted from raising growth capital—which is readily available in private markets—to creating liquidity for early investors and employees. The public offering acts as a valuation marker and an exit opportunity, not a funding necessity.