Musk's long-time backer is giving SpaceX stock to its investors

In Brief Posted: 4:50 PM PDT · September 16, 2026 Image Credits: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg Julie Bort Musk’s long-time backer is giving SpaceX stock to its investors VC firm Valor Equity Partners, founded by Antonio Gracias, a long-time Elon Musk backer and current SpaceX board member, has opted to simply give away a chunk of its SpaceX stock to its limited partner investors, according to an SEC filing spotted by Bloomberg . Valor made a killing on SpaceX after investing in it over decades, with entities controlled by Gracias owning more than 500 million shares at the time of the IPO. This was second only to Musk (who owned over 6 billion shares at the time). But instead of cashing out and issuing returns to LPs, Valor handed over 8.5% of its holdings to them, worth about $8.5 billion, Bloomberg estimates. Valor will still own more than 460 million shares after the giveaway, the SEC disclosure form says. Transferring ownership of the shares could give those Valor limited partners a tax advantage. More importantly, it avoids dumping a giant tranche of shares into the open market. Such a dump could cause a glut of available shares and a corresponding dip in price. SpaceX is already down about 10% since its blockbuster IPO day. Topics Space , SpaceX , TC , Venture October 13 – 15 San Francisco Last day to book an exhibit table is September 18. Don’t miss out on high-impact leads, investor access, and a brand spotlight in Disrupt’s Expo Hall. BOOK NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . Related Climate Al Gore has a surprisingly calm take on the AI data center backlash Connie Loizos 7 minutes ago Transportation US automakers could soon be forced to include AM radio for free Kirsten Korosec 1 hour ago Startups Noise wants to help everyday people become paid content creators Dominic-Madori Davis 2 hours ago Latest in Venture In Brief Musk’s long-time backer is giving SpaceX stock to its investors Julie Bort 17 seconds ago TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Next wave of VCs judging Startup Battlefield 200 contenders at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 revealed TechCrunch Events 10 hours ago TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 3 days left to exhibit: Get your brand in front of VCs and high-value leads at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 TechCrunch Events 10 hours ago