Gwynne Shotwell’s launch-day superstition remains decidedly low-tech despite her role as president and COO of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX), with two sticky notes marked "Scotland" tucked inside her shoes before rockets fly.
Shotwell’s Scotland Ritual Dates Back To 2008
The ritual dates to Sept. 28, 2008. Shotwell was in Glasgow for the International Astronautical Congress, working from a hotel bathroom on SpaceX’s bid for NASA’s $1.6 billion cargo-resupply contract while Falcon 1 Flight 4 counted down. The first three Falcon 1 attempts had failed; the fourth became the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit.
Shotwell later told Stanford Graduate School of Business that Elon Musk believed Flight 4 was SpaceX’s last affordable attempt, while she thought the company could manage one more. After the success, she turned Glasgow into a launch-day talisman. "So I am in Scotland for every launch," she said.
NASA awarded SpaceX the $1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract that December for 12 cargo missions to the International Space Station. Shotwell joined SpaceX in 2002 and became president and COO in 2008.
SpaceX Success Makes Shotwell A Billionaire
That role has also made her wealthy. According to Morningstar, SpaceX’s IPO prospectus listed roughly 12.6 million Class A and Class B stock beneficially owned by Shotwell. At the $135 IPO price, that stake was worth about $1.74 billion. SpaceX closed its offering on June 15 after selling 638.9 million shares.
Reuters reported in April that Shotwell earned $85.8 million in 2025 compensation, including a $1 million salary, with most coming from stock options and awards.
Shotwell Turns Musk’s Ambitions Into Operations
Her operating style remains more measured than Musk’s. "I need more data than Elon does to make a decision," she told Stanford. She has also defended SpaceX’s habit of missing schedules while eventually achieving difficult technical goals.
That approach now stretches across Starship, Starlink and SpaceXAI. Shotwell has recently helped pitch orbital AI-compute plans and a larger Starlink Mobile network, even as SpaceX continues pursuing Mars.
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