SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell reacts during a keynote conference at the 2026 Mobile World Congress (MWC), in Barcelona, Spain, March 2, 2026. REUTERS
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) – SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell earned $85.8 million in total compensation last year, a company prospectus showed, placing her among the highest‑paid U.S. executives.
Shotwell, who is also chief operating officer, earned a salary of $1 million, with most of her compensation coming from stock options and awards, according to an excerpt of SpaceX’s S‑1 filing.
Companies use the registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has filed confidentially for a U.S. IPO, Reuters reported this month, paving the way for a potential record‑breaking listing valued at around $1.75 trillion.
Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnson earned total compensation of $9.8 million, while billionaire CEO Musk, the majority shareholder in SpaceX, paid himself a salary of $54,080, the excerpt from the prospectus showed.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The compensation figures, which have not been previously reported, place Shotwell’s pay above many other high-profile tech executives.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earned $79 million in 2024, while Apple’s Tim Cook took home $75 million, according to compensation data compiled by Equilar.
Shotwell has a net worth of $3.4 billion, according to Forbes.
Although Musk is the public face of SpaceX, 62‑year‑old Shotwell manages much of the company’s day‑to‑day grind.
That involves converting Musk’s futuristic vision into the practical realities of manufacturing rockets, deploying satellites and lining up commercial, government and military customers.
Shotwell joined SpaceX in 2002 as vice president of business development, becoming employee No. 7 at the then‑fledgling company.
She has been a central behind‑the‑scenes figure in building demand for SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket, as well as its Starlink satellite broadband constellation, which now generates the bulk of the company’s revenue and profit.
A mechanical engineer by training, Shotwell began her career at Chrysler Motors before moving into the space industry.
Reporting by Echo Wang; additional reporting by Chris Sanders; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
