SouthernWorldwide.com – A former welder at SpaceX, Juan Hernandez, is on the cusp of becoming a millionaire following the company’s historic $75 billion initial public offering (IPO). Hernandez, who joined SpaceX in 2015, initially viewed the job as just another contract position, unaware of the immense potential it held.
He learned about SpaceX from a friend who had been hired as a welder there. This friend, aware of Hernandez’s background, believed he would be a good fit for the role.
“I thought to myself, I don’t know what SpaceX is, but let’s go,” Hernandez recounted to CBS News correspondent Jo Ling Kent in an exclusive interview.
When SpaceX offered him a position in 2015, they also provided him with $10,000 worth of stock. At the time, this was not a significant factor for him, as his previous hourly jobs had never included stock options.
“It wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t know anything about it then,” he stated. “I didn’t know it was going to be this big, at this point.”
Rising Through the Ranks
Hernandez, who has since moved on to work at Blue Origin, currently holds approximately 6,500 SpaceX shares. If these shares are valued at the IPO price of $135, his holdings could be worth nearly $880,000. Given the stock’s performance on its first day of trading, this figure is likely to increase.
During his decade-long tenure at SpaceX, Hernandez was instrumental in preparing rockets for launch. His work involved constructing the essential structures that positioned the rockets on the launch pad and the infrastructure that secured them.
He eventually advanced to a supervisory role within the company. Hernandez believes that offering employees a stake in the company fosters a sense of ownership and motivates them to perform at a higher level.
“They will perform a lot better because, I mean, it is, it’s their company as well,” he explained.
Despite this life-changing financial development, Hernandez remains grounded and humble.
As an immigrant, Hernandez emphasized that he was raised with a strong work ethic, a principle he intends to uphold even with his newfound wealth. He plans to continue working and to impart the lessons he has learned to his children.
He is currently educating his three children, including his 16-year-old daughter, about investing, drawing from his experience with SpaceX stock. His daughter has already begun investing in Meta and several other companies.
“She’s a little entrepreneur herself,” he proudly stated.
If he had the opportunity to speak with Elon Musk, Hernandez said he would express his gratitude for enabling him to achieve a dream he never knew he had.
“He made it a possibility for somebody like us, you know, the cook or… electrician,” he remarked. “He’s making all these lives much better and meaningful for their families as well.”
Edited by Aimee Picchi.
Emily Pandise contributed to this report.
