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Google executive Donald Harrison resigns from SpaceX board

SpaceX said Google executive Donald Harrison resigned from its board, effective Nov. 4, and that the move was not due to a disagreement over operations or policy, CNBC and CNA reported.

What's new
  1. CNA and Reuters are now reporting this
  2. New headline Was: “SpaceX says Google exec Don Harrison has resigned from its board”
  3. Our desk filed its story

Wire reporting: (Reuters, via CNA)

SpaceX said Friday that Google executive Donald Harrison has resigned from the company's board of directors, according to CNBC and CNA1,2.

Harrison notified SpaceX of his resignation on Nov. 4, and it took effect immediately, CNA reported1. SpaceX said in a regulatory filing that the decision was not due to any disagreement with the company on operations, policies or practices, both outlets reported1,2.

Harrison is president of Global Partnerships and Corporate Development at Google and has worked at the company since 2005, CNBC reported2. SpaceX thanked him for years of service, CNBC said2.

Alphabet is SpaceX's largest single institutional holder, CNA said, citing LSEG data1. CNBC put Alphabet's stake at $74 billion as of Friday's close and said SpaceX's market cap was about $1.8 trillion2. CNA said Google on Friday reported a small increase in its SpaceX position, to about 555 million shares from 551.2 million1.

CNBC said Alphabet invested in SpaceX in 2015, when the company was valued at about $12 billion, and that the resignation disclosure came roughly five months after SpaceX went public2. Google is a SpaceX customer and has agreed to pay the company's AI division up to $920 million a month for compute capacity near Memphis, Tennessee, CNBC reported2. The companies also recently worked together to launch Google AI chips into orbit via Project Suncatcher, according to CNBC2.

Google said in an emailed statement to CNBC that it remains supportive of SpaceX's mission and its partnership even as Harrison leaves the board2. Neither outlet reported a successor on the SpaceX board1,2.

Sources

  1. (Reuters, via CNA)Google executive Donald Harrison resigns from SpaceX board
  2. CNBCSpaceX says Google exec Don Harrison has resigned from its board

How it’s being reported

2 sources

First reported by CNBCCNBC

Where they agree

  • Harrison resigned from the SpaceX board and the company said it was not due to a disagreement on operations, policies or practices.
  • Harrison is a longtime Google executive in global partnerships and corporate development.
  • Alphabet is described as SpaceX's largest institutional investor.

Where they differ

Size of Alphabet's SpaceX holding

Side by side

Each outlet's article broken down by our newsroom, in our own words. To read what they wrote, use the button under each one.

CNBCCNBC

SpaceX says Google exec Don Harrison has resigned from its board

The regulatory filing language, Alphabet's valuation of its stake, and Google-SpaceX commercial ties.

CNBC reports SpaceX's filing on Harrison's resignation, Alphabet's $74 billion stake, and Google's statement of continued support.

Leaves out Google's updated share count in SpaceX.

The regulatory filing language, Alphabet's valuation of its stake, and Google-SpaceX commercial ties.

What it reports

  • SpaceX disclosed the resignation in a filing and thanked Harrison for his service.
  • Harrison has worked at Google since 2005.
  • Alphabet invested in SpaceX in 2015 and is now the largest institutional investor, with a stake CNBC put at $74 billion.
  • Google is a SpaceX customer and has agreed to pay SpaceX's AI division up to $920 million a month for Memphis-area compute.
  • Google said in an emailed statement that it remains supportive of SpaceX's mission while Harrison steps down from the board.

Leaves out Google's updated share count in SpaceX.