Bollcoin, October 22 — According to Reuters, people familiar with the matter said Musk publicly confirmed this week that SpaceX and Tesla are evaluating a merger and expressed support for it. Some participants in the talks worry that the move will make Tesla shareholders focus more on conflict-of-interest issues, potentially delaying the talks by weeks and subjecting them to a longer legal review. Musk said on an investor call on Tuesday that the two companies have formed special committees and that he is not participating in the discussions due to a conflict of interest. The deal is still in its early stages, and options under discussion include SpaceX acquiring Tesla or a new holding company merging the two companies, with the transaction potentially reaching $3.5 trillion. Musk holds nearly one-fifth of Tesla and slightly less than half of SpaceX.