CBS News
· collected 2026-10-02 · by Mary Cunningham, Maya Blackstone, Jo Ling Kent
Juan Hernandez, a former SpaceX welder who started at the company in 2015 with no prior knowledge of it, became a millionaire after SpaceX’s recent initial public offering (IPO). On Friday, his roughly 6,500 shares were valued at $1,046,175 when SpaceX stock closed at $160.95 per share on the Nasdaq. Hernandez reflects on how the company's culture of giving employees stock options significantly boosted their motivation and success over the years.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Juan Hernandez, a former SpaceX welder who started there in 2015 after hearing about the company from a friend, has become a millionaire following SpaceX's historic Initial Public Offering (IPO) on Friday, with his stock valued at $1,046,175. Initially offered $10,000 worth of stock by SpaceX when he was hired, Hernandez now holds roughly 6,500 shares under the ticker symbol SPCX on the Nasdaq. Currently working for Jeff Bezos-owned rocket startup Blue Origin, Hernandez's unexpected financial gain underscores the rapid growth and success of SpaceX over the past decade.
Written for “SpaceX Welder Goes Public” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Before Juan Hernandez became a welder at SpaceX, he had never heard of the company.
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he → become → company
"It was just another contract job for me at the time," he told CBS News correspondent Jo Ling Kent in a broadcast exclusive interview.
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he → tell → interview
Now, just over 10 years later, that leap of faith is paying off following the company's shares.
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leap → pay → shares
On Friday, SpaceX stock closed at $160.95, valuing his holdings at $1,046,175.
.
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stock → close → 1,046,175
Hernandez, who now works at Jeff Bezos-owned rocket startup Blue Origin, has roughly 6,500 SpaceXSpaceX shares
on the Nasdaq late Friday morning under the ticker symbol SPCX, marking the long-awaited Wall Street debut of the rocket and satellite company.
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who → work → company
The stock offering also turned SpaceX founder Elon Musk into the .Hernandez first heard about SpaceX from a friend who was hired as a welder there.
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who → turn → welder
He knew Hernandez's background and figured he'd be a good fit for the job.
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he → know → job
"I thought in my head, I don't know what SpaceX is, but let's go," Hernandez said.
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Hernandez → think → what
When SpaceX hired Hernandez in 2015, he said they offered him $10,000 worth of stock.
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they → hire → stock
At the time, he didn't think much of it.
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he → think → it
His other jobs, which paid him hourly, had never offered him stock before.
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which → pay → stock
I didn't know anything about it then," he told CBS News.
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he → know → News
"I didn't know it was gonna be this big, at this point.
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it → know → point
During his 10-year run at SpaceX, Hernandez worked as a welder, preparing rockets for takeoff by building the structures that lifted them onto the launch pad and the infrastructure that held them in place.
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that → work → place
He eventually rose through the ranks to become a supervisor.
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He → rise → ranks
He said offering employees a stake in the company helps them feel they have skin in the game and pushes them to succeed.
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they → say → them
"They will perform a lot better because, I mean, it is, it's their company as well," he said.
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he → perform → ?
Even through the life-changing event, he's staying humble.
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he → change → event
As a U.S. immigrant, Hernandez said he was taught to work hard, something his newfound wealth won't get in the way of.
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wealth → say → way
He said he plans to keep working and pass on the lessons he's learned to his children.
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he → say → children
He's now teaching his three kids, including his 16-year-old daughter, how to invest based on what he learned owning SpaceX stock.
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he → teach → stock
"She's a little entrepreneur herself," he said.
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he → say → ?
If given the chance to talk to Musk, Hernandez said he'd thank him for helping him realize a dream he didn't know he had.
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he → give → dream
"He made it a possibility for somebody like us, you know, the cook or … electrician," he said.
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he → make → us
"He's making all these lives much better and meaningful for their families as well."
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lives → make → families
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