When Gwynne Shotwell says something had better happen, it better. A veteran of nearly 40 years in the aerospace sector, she is one of its top players. Shotwell is second on the SpaceX org chart—behind only CEO and founder Elon Musk—leading what is now the world's most valuable private company. On Feb. 2, SpaceX announced that it merged with xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence company. The combined operation is worth a reported $1.25 trillion, a valuation that will be tested when the privately held company (whose investors include TIME co-chair and owner Marc Benioff) begins selling stock. The initial public offering is rumored to be set for the second quarter of 2026.
“I’m not supposed to talk about the IPO in any way,” says Shotwell, “but I’m looking forward to it. It’s a new thing—a new set of methodologies to run companies—so I’m excited about it.”
It also means Shotwell will occupy an even bigger position in an even larger operation, one that has plans not just to dominate the aerospace sector, but also to settle other worlds and reroute the course of human history.
