Space Exploration Technologies Corp. elected Roelof Botha to its board of directors on Monday, less than a week after the company went public in the largest IPO on record.
According to an SEC filing, Botha was named an independent director effective immediately, filling a seat that had been vacant on the board
He will serve until SpaceX’s next annual shareholder meeting. The board also appointed him to its audit committee. In the filing, SpaceX described Botha as someone who “brings extensive public company experience along with a deep audit committee background, having served on the boards and audit committees of numerous public companies.” The company also cited his financial, investment, and managerial experience.
The filing notes that Botha joined Sequoia Capital in 2003 and held a managing member role at Sequoia Capital Operations for roughly 18 years before stepping down in 2025. Before joining Sequoia, Botha spent three years at PayPal, where he rose to CFO after being brought on board by Elon Musk; the two share South African roots, according to TechCrunch. An undisclosed relative of Botha’s has been employed at SpaceX since the start of 2025, working within the enterprise operations team, the filing reveals.