Meet the SpaceX employees who are set to become multimillionaires thanks to its IPO: from execs to even welders

As markets brace for what could become one of the most consequential public offerings in modern history, Elon Musk’s rocket giant Space X is preparing to generate staggering wealth—not only for its billionaire founder, but potentially for thousands of employees and investors. The biggest fortunes will flow to executives and early insiders. Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell and Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen each hold stakes that could reportedly be worth more than $1 billion, according to the Financial Times. Antonio Gracias, a SpaceX director and founder of Valor Equity Partners, owns shares that could ultimately be worth some $65 billion, while another director, Luke Nosek, has a stake estimated at roughly $5 billion. But wealth creation won’t be confined to the C-suite. Some 400 current and former SpaceX employees could see their stake worth soar to more than $100 million, according to an analysis by Hill.com, a San Francisco-based investment platform, first reported by The New York Times. In total, more than 4,400 current and former SpaceX employees are expected to become millionaires in the IPO. Unlike many recent IPOs—dominated by software startups and AI firms—SpaceX has constructed its empire in factories, launchpads, and manufacturing facilities as much as engineering labs. To become the world’s most dominant rocket company, Musk needed more than coders and executives. He needed welders, machinists, technicians, and manufacturing specialists by the thousands—many of whom were offered company stock as part of their compensation. Juan Hernandez is one example. A former SpaceX welder who joined the company in 2015 earning $28 an hour, the Mexico-native is sitting on shares now worth roughly $880,000 at the anticipated IPO price of $135, according to The Wall Street Journal. SpaceX’s IPO: a moment for the skilled trades, or a shift in financial risk? SpaceX’s IPO comes at a pivot moment around the future of work. As artificial intelligence resh