How Elon Musk’s Company Has Spawned A New Generation Of Billion-Dollar Startups

The entrepreneurial spirit that defines SpaceX, the pioneering space technology company founded by Elon Musk, has yielded a staggering legacy. A recent report by Forbes reveals that alumni of SpaceX have gone on to establish 141 startups, collectively valued at $10. 6 billion. This phenomenon began over two decades ago, when Musk first encountered Thomas Mueller, an engineer at TRW, at the Reaction Research Society, an amateur rocket club in Los Angeles. Mueller, who would later become a key figure at SpaceX, was immediately drawn to Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars. Their initial meeting marked the beginning of a fruitful partnership, with Mueller agreeing to build an engine from scratch, despite the daunting task ahead.

Fast-forward to the present, and the impact of SpaceX’s alumni is being felt across various industries, including space tech, AI, energy, and mobility. According to Chad Anderson, founder of space-focused investment firm Space Capital, the impending IPO of SpaceX is expected to create a “massive wealth-creating situation” for employees, which will, in turn, spawn a new wave of founders.

The statistics are impressive: SpaceX alumni startups have raised $10.