Musk: SpaceX's IPO turned thousands of employees into millionaires.

      TL;DR: Elon Musk stated on The Sean Hannity Show that SpaceX's record IPO has likely created “several thousand” millionaires among its employees, highlighting years of stock grants as a strategy for sharing profits. Estimates suggest around 4,400 new millionaires and over 400 centimillionaires, including welders and machinists, not just executives. However, stock prices have dropped from a peak above $200 to under $148, and lock-up periods keep much of the wealth theoretical, while Musk maintains 82% voting control.

      Elon Musk mentioned that SpaceX's significant IPO has potentially turned thousands of his employees into millionaires. When asked on The Sean Hannity Show about a former welder whose stock exceeded $1 million, he indicated that this is a common scenario. “It’s not just one welder; it’s several thousand people who worked on the production line,” Musk stated, noting that early employees likely have stock now valued at over a million dollars. He described this as an established policy to ensure all employees “participate in the upside.” “It’s great for aligning incentives,” he added, ensuring that as the company grows, so do its employees. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

      The scale of these claims is significant. Before the IPO on June 12, one pre-IPO trading platform projected that the offering would create approximately 4,400 new millionaires and over 400 centimillionaires.

      The mechanism involves years of equity. A former employee recounted receiving stock options upon joining, during annual reviews, and after promotions, with semiannual liquidity events allowing staff to sell portions of their holdings even while SpaceX remained private.

      Despite the real gains, the timing is unfavorable. SpaceX priced its shares at $135, briefly climbing above $200 following its Nasdaq debut, but then dropped back below $148 by midweek. This fluctuation is a reminder that stock value does not equate to actual cash. Additionally, lock-up periods stagger when employees can sell, keeping much of the wealth on paper for now.

      The financial situation raises concerns as well. SpaceX reportedly lost $4.94 billion in 2025, with only Starlink consistently profitable, leading its approximately $2 trillion valuation to heavily rely on future potential.

      The employee gains are part of a much larger fortune. Musk briefly became the world's first trillionaire due to the IPO and continues to exert strong control over the company. Employees gained wealth but not power, as Musk has around 82% of the voting rights through a dual-class structure, despite owning about 42% of the equity. This means insiders maintain significant control regardless of how many employees cash in.

      Some of the profits are being intentionally distributed. President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband donated approximately $300 million worth of SpaceX stock to the government’s Trump Accounts program for newborns, a gesture that Donald Trump publicly commended.

      Meanwhile, Musk connected this financial success to his vision of a Moon base and crewed Mars missions in the near future. For many SpaceX employees, the science-fiction promises have delivered a tangible, albeit cautious, seven-figure reward.