SpaceX Lock-Up: What Does Liquidity Mean for Me? | Jimmy Bisharat

By: Jimmy Bisharat

For years, SpaceX equity has been something employees accrued, tracked, and occasionally sold through tender offers. Now, with the IPO behind us, the lock-up period becomes the final gate between paper wealth and true liquidity.

That is a big shift.

For many SpaceX employees, the first question is simple: “When can I sell?” But the more important question is, “How should I think about selling?”

Based on the current lock-up structure, liquidity is not expected to happen all at once. The first major release is expected after Q2 earnings, which may be around early August 2026, when a portion of eligible shares could become available to sell. There may also be a performance-based release if the stock trades 30% above the IPO price for a set period of time. After that, additional shares are expected to be released through staggered windows over the following months, with the remaining restrictions likely lifting around the end of the full lock-up period near the 180-day mark in December.

In simple terms, this is not one single liquidity event. It is a series of liquidity windows.

That matters because each window gives you a chance to reassess rather than react. Instead of asking, “Should I sell everything I can?” the better approach is to think through your taxes, cash needs, concentration risk, future goals, and how much of your financial life should remain tied to one company, even a great one.

Should You Sell?

There is no blanket answer. A newer employee with less than 5% of their net worth tied to SpaceX is in a very different position than someone who has been there for over a decade and has 95% of their net worth concentrated in company stock.

That is why the answer usually starts with two separate but equally important questions.

First, how do you feel about the company? Are you still optimistic about SpaceX? Do you believe in the valuation? Do you believe in the mission, the leadership, and the long-term opportunity?

Second, what does your personal financial life look like? Do you have a wedding to pay for? Are you looking to buy a home? Do you have debt to pay off? Are you trying to build financial independence, support family, start a business, or simply reduce stress?

The best decision is rarely based only on the stock price. It usually comes from understanding the role this stock plays in your life.

What If You Do Not Have a Big Goal?

This is where the decision becomes more nuanced. Some people may say, “I do not need the money right now, so why sell?”

That is a fair question. But it is also worth remembering that concentration often builds wealth, while diversification helps preserve it. SpaceX stock may have created a meaningful amount of your net worth, but once that wealth exists, the question becomes how much risk you want to keep taking with it.

Selling does not have to mean losing belief in the company. It may simply mean taking some risk off the table, creating flexibility, and turning part of your concentrated position into a broader long-term financial plan.

A diversified portfolio may not have the same upside potential as a concentrated position in a high-growth company, but it can provide more stability, and a clearer path toward long-term goals. A large sum of money earning a more traditional market return can still be incredibly powerful over time.

Liquidity can also create planning opportunities. It may allow you to exercise options, prepare for taxes, or explore strategies designed to help manage taxable gains. Concepts like direct indexing or long-short strategies may become more relevant when someone is trying to reduce concentration and manage a large taxable event. And liquidity helps make the use possible.

Ideas Are Not the Same as a Plan

There is no shortage of strategies that get discussed around major IPOs and liquidity events. Direct indexing, charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, long-short strategies, etc can all be useful in the right situation.

But none of those ideas are automatically a financial plan. A strategy is only valuable if it fits the person using it.

Before making decisions, it is worth taking a step back and looking at the full picture. What are your short-term cash needs? What are your long-term goals? How much of your net worth is tied to SpaceX? What is your tax situation? How comfortable are you with volatility? How would you feel if the stock doubled after you sold? How would you feel if it dropped significantly and you had not sold anything?

Those questions matter.

Liquidity is not just about creating cash. It is about creating choices. The right decision should help you balance confidence in the company with the responsibility of protecting what you have built.

For some people, that may mean selling a meaningful portion early. For others, it may mean selling gradually over multiple windows. Some may decide to hold the majority of their shares. The key is making that decision intentionally, not emotionally.

SpaceX has created life-changing opportunities for many employees. The next step is making sure that opportunity translates into long-term financial success. If you are a SpaceX employee looking to explore potential opportunities feel free to reach out to me, Jimmy Bisharat, Wealth Advisor at Gerber Kawasaki today. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management is an investment advisor located in California. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration of an investment advisor does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. Gerber Kawasaki only transacts business in states in which it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration. A copy of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management 's current written disclosure brochure filed with the SEC which discusses, among other things, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management's business practices, services and fees, is available through the SEC's website at: http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov .

Jimmy Bisharat is a Financial Advisor of Santa Monica, California-based Gerber Kawasaki Inc., an SEC-registered investment firm with approximately ~$4.78B billion in assets under management and assets under advisement as of 06/30/26. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which course of action may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Readers shouldn't buy any investment without doing their research to determine if the investments are suitable for their situation. “All investments involve risk and one should consult a financial advisor before making any investments. Past performance is not indicative of future results."