Roelof Botha, a former steward of venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and a member of the so-called PayPal Mafia, has joined the board of directors of SpaceX, reuniting with Elon Musk after decades. The news was confirmed by multiple sources on June 18, 2026.
Botha stepped down as Sequoia's steward in November 2025, after leading the firm through a challenging period in venture capital. His appointment to SpaceX's board comes less than a week after the company's historic initial public offering (IPO), which was completed on June 12, 2026.
Botha and Musk previously worked together at PayPal, where Botha served as CFO during the company's early growth and eventual sale to eBay in 2002. Botha later became a partner at Sequoia Capital, where he led investments in companies including YouTube, Instagram, and Square.
SpaceX, founded by Musk in 2002, has become a dominant player in the aerospace industry, known for its reusable rocket technology and Starlink satellite internet service. The company's IPO was one of the most anticipated in recent years.
Neither SpaceX nor Botha have publicly commented on the board appointment as of this writing.
