SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell spoke with CNBC on June 12, 2026, at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, during the company's initial public offering.

Shotwell stated that the massive wave of retail investor participation in this historic IPO aligns perfectly with CEO Elon Musk's long-term vision for the company.

"He is determined to open the door to space for everyone," she said. "Driving this IPO and making company shares accessible to the general public was his concept, and we have indeed seen a huge number of retail investors successfully participate in the offering."

Shotwell expressed her hope that SpaceX would set a precedent, encouraging more companies in the future to open avenues for ordinary people to become shareholders.

"This is not a rejection of institutional investors," she clarified. "Institutions have provided us with tremendous support and will continue to be partners going forward. However, over the past several years, we have received countless requests from friends, family, and Tesla Motors (TSLA) shareholders wanting to invest. The demand has been incredibly strong."