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PayPal mafia member and ex-Sequoia steward Roelof Botha joins SpaceX board-reuniting with Elon Musk after decades
Fortune • • business
Key Points:
- Michael Botha, former leader of venture capital firm Sequoia, has joined SpaceX as an independent director and audit committee member, without any personal financial stake in the company.
- Botha’s tenure at Sequoia coincided with a challenging period for the firm, though he is known for backing successful companies like YouTube, Instagram, Block, and MongoDB.
- Botha has a long-standing professional relationship with Elon Musk dating back to their time at PayPal, despite occasional clashes over company culture and software.
- Botha praised Musk’s intentions and character in a 2023 interview, acknowledging Musk’s imperfections but emphasizing his commitment to doing the right thing.
- Botha declined to comment on his new role at SpaceX, which was announced shortly after SpaceX’s historic IPO and several months after he stepped down from Sequoia.
