SpaceX got NASDAQ to change their rules so I guess people thought S&P might be similar. NASDAQ probably did it because they make money by the listing going to them rather than the NYSE.
SpaceX going in the index is fine but I think changing the rule to make it different from other stocks is iffy and was at the request of Musk. There's a Patrick Boyle vid talking about it https://youtu.be/8rS3fTbC7TE
My financial advisor might have recommended that expensive fund to me because it was a good idea, even though he also received kickbacks from the fund for doing so. The point of being a trustworthy index is to avoid the perception of conflicted interest.