Tom Mueller, an accomplished aerospace engineer and SpaceX’s first employee, shared how he connected with Elon Musk through a passion for model rockets. Mueller revealed, “I met Elon through an amateur rocket club, and he convinced me to take a leap that turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.” As SpaceX prepares for its historic initial public offering, Mueller acknowledged Musk’s talent for identifying and energizing top talent.
Mueller played a pivotal role in transforming SpaceX’s vision into reality after joining the company in 2002. He stated confidently, “We believed it, and we did it.” SpaceX’s IPO marks a potential financial windfall for its employees, including Mueller, who hold equity in the company. “We’ve done great. SpaceX has been extremely successful. It’s beneficial for all employees, including myself,” Mueller said.
As Musk stands as the world’s wealthiest person with an estimated net worth of nearly $700 billion, the IPO could propel him to become the first trillionaire, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Mueller added, “It worked,” highlighting his role in developing the engines for the economically efficient Falcon 9 rocket, another testament to SpaceX’s achievements.
Although Mueller has since founded Impulse Space, a company dedicated to advancing space technologies such as delivering payloads and satellite movement, his commitment to space exploration remains unwavering. He underscores the significance of space programs for Earth, mentioning advancements like GPS and precise weather forecasting. “Space is super important — more than people realize,” said Mueller. He expressed anticipation for future developments like orbital data centers and utilizing resources from the moon and asteroids, declaring, “It’s just really going to take off from here.”