Former Sequoia Capital managing partner Roelof Botha is now a board member at SpaceX following the company's historic IPO.

The appointment fills a vacancy and sees Botha join the audit committee. His extensive public company experience could be key as Musk retains near-absolute control, with shareholders having limited influence over his decisions.

Botha previously worked under Elon Musk at PayPal in 2000 when he was invited to lead the finance division despite being an unknown Stanford student. SpaceX's filing reveals a family member has also been working for the company since January 2025, though their role is not disclosed.

The board now comprises nine directors, including both Musk confidants and external figures like Google executive Donald Harrison. Botha's addition is seen to balance Musk’s extensive influence but his actions might still be largely unchallenged by shareholders.