James Murdoch's $120 Million SpaceX Bet Swells to $7.5 Billion After Historic IPO
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jul 12
James Murdoch's $120 Million SpaceX Bet Swells to $7.5 Billion After Historic IPO
3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 12
Summary
PitchBook estimates James Murdoch’s three pre-IPO SpaceX purchases—about $120 million made in 2019 and 2020—are now worth roughly $6.6 billion to $7.5 billion.
The valuation emerged from public court records and SpaceX’s IPO filings, which pointed to pre-offering share values around $4.40 and imply gains of about 33 times on some holdings.
The figure is not definitive: Murdoch could have sold shares, later funding rounds diluted stakes, and SpaceX approved a 5-for-1 stock split in May.
Even with those caveats, the potential windfall would dwarf the $2.2 billion James Murdoch received from Disney’s 2019 purchase of most 21st Century Fox assets.
The gain also sharpens the contrast with his long rupture from Rupert Murdoch, whose family trust fight ended with James and two sisters each receiving $1.1 billion payouts.
How does Murdoch's SpaceX windfall signal a power shift from old media money to new technology ventures?
Can James Murdoch’s $7.5B fortune build a media empire that truly rivals the one his family still controls?
James Murdoch’s $7.5 Billion SpaceX Windfall: Inside the Record-Breaking IPO, Lockup Risks, and His New Tech Legacy
Overview
The SpaceX IPO created massive wealth for investors and employees, with James Murdoch among the biggest winners. Murdoch’s gains stem not only from his early, strategic investment in SpaceX but also from his Tesla share sales and his ongoing role on Tesla’s board. Tesla itself owns a large stake in SpaceX, linking Murdoch’s fortunes to both companies. The IPO also made thousands of SpaceX employees millionaires and enriched Elon Musk’s circle of friends and venture capital firms. Ongoing speculation about a potential Tesla-SpaceX merger could further boost Murdoch’s indirect benefits, highlighting the interconnected nature of these tech giants.