SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell collected $85.8 million in total compensation last year, according to company documents that place her among America's highest-paid executives as Elon Musk's aerospace giant prepares for what could become history's largest stock market debut.
The figure, revealed in an excerpt from the company's confidential S‑1 registration filing reviewed by Reuters, consists primarily of stock options and awards alongside a $1 million base salary. Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnson received $9.8 million in total compensation, while billionaire CEO Musk, the majority shareholder, paid himself a salary of just $54,080.
Shotwell's pay package surpasses those of several prominent tech leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ($79 million in 2024) and Apple chief Tim Cook ($75 million).
The 62-year-old president and chief operating officer has built a net worth of $3.4 billion during her tenure at the rocket company, where she joined as employee number seven in 2002.
Her compensation disclosure arrives as SpaceX hosts three days of closed-door analyst briefings this week at its Starbase launch facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, and its Colossus data center in Memphis, Tennessee. Attendees are required to surrender electronic devices for the sessions, which aim to build support for an initial public offering targeting $75 billion in capital at a valuation approaching $1.75 trillion.
Executives are aiming for a late June trading debut that would mark the world's biggest IPO ever.
The company plans to allocate roughly 30 percent of shares to retail investors across multiple countries, with 1,500 invited to tour Starbase after roadshows begin during the week of June 8.
Although Musk remains the public face of SpaceX, Shotwell has managed the day-to-day operations that turned his futuristic concepts into commercial reality. She helped build demand for the reusable Falcon 9 rocket and oversees the Starlink satellite broadband constellation that now generates most of its revenue and profit.
The aerospace firm swung to a consolidated loss of $4.94 billion on revenue of $18.67 billion last year after heavy investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure through Musk's xAI unit, which merged with it earlier this year. The combined entity ended 2025 with about $24.7 billion in cash but more than $50 billion in liabilities.
