SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell earned a total compensation of $85.8 million last year, according to a company prospectus. The majority of her earnings stemmed from stock options and awards, with a base salary of $1 million.
This compensation places Shotwell among the highest-paid U.S. executives. For comparison, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earned $79 million in 2024, and Apple CEO Tim Cook received $75 million. Shotwell, also the company's COO, manages SpaceX's daily operations, converting Elon Musk's visions into manufacturing and deployment realities.
SpaceX, co-founded by Musk, has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, with a potential valuation around $1.75 trillion. Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnson received $9.8 million in compensation, while CEO Elon Musk's salary was $54,080.
Shotwell, employee number seven at SpaceX, has been instrumental in developing demand for the Falcon 9 rocket and the Starlink satellite broadband constellation, which now drives the company's revenue and profit.