[adventured]

$150 billion in cash says otherwise.

Apple could step in at $1.5 or $2 billion, at twice the valuation, and the deal would be theirs most likely.

If not, then for the same price tag, they could just launch their own network.

[themartorana]

I think Musk keeps control pretty tightly held. A Google investment isn't something SpaceX can take without his say-so. So Apple can't randomly drop $2B and win the day - If SpaceX takes the investment, they likely a) leave most control with Musk, and b) are the right partner, the one Musk was looking for.