Who Owns Starlink Internet? Since its inception in 2019, Starlink has been making waves as one of the best internet providers in the world.
The service has surpassed most traditional satellite ISPs by providing reliable, high-speed internet in remote areas.
For this reason, many have been asking who owns Starlink Internet company, wanting to learn the brain behind the superb technology.
Having done a thorough research, I will discuss with you the owners of Starlink and other investors behind the internet giant.
Who Owns Starlink Satellite Internet?
According to my research, Starlink is not a standalone company, but rather a subsidiary of a certain company known as SpaceX.
For this reason, SpaceX is Starlink’s founder, operator, and owner. Apart from Starlink, the mother company has many other subsidiaries, such as Swarm Technologies and Pioneer Aerospace Corporation.
SpaceX was founded in 2002, but Starlink emerged in 2019. The CEO and the founder of both companies is the tech Guru Elon Musk.
Mr. Musk controls about 47.4% of SpaceX shares, with 78.3% voting rights. Therefore, it is correct to assume he is, by default, the owner of Starlink through SpaceX.
However, SpaceX has other private shareholders and investors, such as Google and founder funds.
Note that while there are shareholders of spaceX, the owner of Starlink, the company does not sell public shares.
Therefore, the public cannot buy Starlink Stock since it’s a subsidiary and private company without an initial public offering (IPO)
Something else to note is that while SpaceX owns Starlink, Starlink operates independently.
For this reason, you cannot contact spaceX when you need to buy Starlink service or get help from their customer care.
With that said, know that Starlink has its website where you can buy their internet plans and accessories and contact customer service.
Launching satellites
Will SpaceX Own Starlink Forever?
As I mentioned above, Starlink or SpaceX is a privately owned company rather than a publicly traded company.
For now, SpaceX remains the company’s sole owner without any public share selling. While one is the mother of the other, they operate differently but benefit from each other.
For example, Starlink uses SpaceX infrastructure to launch its satellites in space as it seeks global coverage.
On the other hand, SpaceX profits from the revenues that Starlink makes, given that it has attracted many users.
However, I have gathered that SpaceX may not own Starlink forever. Plans are underway to spin off Starlink from SpaceX and make it a stand-alone company.
Once this separation happens, the current SpaceX shareholders will receive stock depending on their stake in the parent company.
With that said, the public may also be allowed to buy Starlink, as Mr. Musk has stated earlier.
However, the spin-off will depend on whether Starlink can make more revenue or sustain itself financially.
Additionally, the action will depend on whether Starlink can continue to triumph over Viasat and Hughenet to make it the to-go Satellite internet.
Therefore, given that SpaceX’s business model is not as lucrative as Sarlink’s, you can expect the companies to separate.
Starlink dish
Who Are the Investors in Starlink?
I had hinted that while Elon Musk is the majority shared holder of SpaceX and, hence, Starlink, there are other private investors.
Note that as of now, there is no individual owner of Starlink but spaceX only.
However once the company becomes independent, SpaceX shareholders will get a stake in the new company to the ratio of what they own in SpaceX.
With that clear, SpaceX has 79 institutional investors plus 10 lead investors. Some known lead investors are Founder Funds, NASA, United States Space Force, Google, and Threshold Ventures.
In addition, Musk owns 44% of the stake, while employees own a small percentage of the SpaceX option pool.
Investors icon
Conclusion
Now you know Starlink is a subsidiary company owned by its parent company, SpaceX, rather than individuals.
However, as we have seen, plans are underway to make it a business on its own to maximize its profits.