Gwynne Shotwell

- SpaceX’s 11th employee, Shotwell joined the company as vice president of business in 2002 and has remained there ever since. In 2008, she was promoted to president and COO. - Although Elon Musk remains CEO, he entrusts Shotwell with day-to-day operations and the management of nearly all internal teams—as well as relationships with government entities. - It’s Shotwell who negotiates many of the company’s lucrative contracts with organizations such as the U.S. military and the European Space Agency. This year, NASA agreed to pay SpaceX up to $843 million to demolish the International Space Station. NASA chief Bill Nelson has said that it’s because of Shotwell’s leadership that he trusts the company. - Analysts estimate that the privately owned rocket and satellite manufacturer is worth $210 billion, making it the world’s second most valuable startup after China’s ByteDance. This valuation can be attributed to its dominance in the commercial launch sector and the success of Starlink satellite internet, which now has more than 3.5 million users worldwide.