SpaceX vs Workday: Founders, CEOs and History
SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk and is led by Elon Musk. Workday was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri and is led by Aneel Bhusri.
Company facts
Founders
SpaceX
Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, and emigrated to Canada at age 17 before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual degrees in economics and physics.
Workday
Dave Duffield
Dave Duffield founded PeopleSoft, which grew into a major HR and ERP software vendor before Oracle acquired it through a hostile takeover completed in early 2005.
Aneel Bhusri
Aneel Bhusri co-founded Workday in 2005. He was co-CEO with Dave Duffield, then sole CEO from 2014, and later shared the CEO role before handing it to Carl Eschenbach in February 2024 and becoming executive chair.
CEOs and their tenures
SpaceX
- Elon Musk2002–present
Founder, CEO & Chief Engineer
Under Musk, SpaceX became the highest-cadence launch provider and built Starlink into its largest revenue segment. He led the company through its June 12, 2026 IPO, priced at $135 per share and raising $85.7 billion.
Source - Gwynne Shotwell2002–present
President and Chief Operating Officer
As President and COO since 2008, she has managed day-to-day operations and strategic customer relationships, guiding the company to unprecedented launch cadences and billions in recurring Starlink revenues.
Source
Workday
- Carl Eschenbach2022–2026
Former CEO
As co-CEO and later sole CEO, he aggressively pushed the platform beyond HR into the broader and highly lucrative enterprise financial management sector.
Source - Zane Rowe2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
He strengthened the corporate balance sheet, enabling strategic AI acquisitions while maintaining disciplined capital allocation.
Source - Aneel Bhusri2026–present
Co-founder, CEO, and Chair
He scaled the company into a dominant cloud SaaS provider, fundamentally reshaping the enterprise software market before handing over the CEO reins.
Source
Timeline: SpaceX and Workday side by side
2002SpaceX
SpaceX is founded
Elon Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to reduce launch costs and make Mars settlement technically possible.
2005Workday
Workday Founded
Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri found Workday after Oracle's takeover of PeopleSoft.
2006Workday
Workday launches
Workday, founded in March 2005, launches publicly in November 2006.
2008SpaceX
Falcon 1 reaches orbit
Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket to reach orbit, rescuing SpaceX after three failed attempts.
2012SpaceX
Dragon reaches the ISS
Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station, proving SpaceX could serve NASA cargo missions.
2012Workday
IPO
Workday lists on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2012; it later moves its listing to Nasdaq.
2015SpaceX
Falcon 9 booster landing
SpaceX landed an orbital-class booster, establishing the technical base for reusable launch economics.
2017SpaceX
Orbital booster reflight
SpaceX reflown an orbital-class booster, pushing reuse from demonstration into operating model.
2018Workday
Adaptive Insights Acquired
Workday buys planning software company Adaptive Insights for about $1.55B, creating Workday Adaptive Planning.
2020SpaceX
Crew Dragon carries astronauts
SpaceX became the first private company to carry astronauts to orbit, restoring U.S. crew launch capability.
2021SpaceX
Acquired Swarm Technologies
SpaceX acquired Swarm Technologies.
2021Workday
Acquired Peakon
Workday acquired Peakon for $700 million.
2023SpaceX
Starship flight testing begins
SpaceX conducted the first integrated Starship flight test, starting the high-risk development cycle for its next launch system.
2024Workday
Carl Eschenbach Becomes Sole CEO
Eschenbach takes over as sole CEO in February 2024 and Bhusri becomes executive chair.
2024Workday
Acquired HiredScore
Workday acquired HiredScore.
2025SpaceX
FY2025 revenue reaches $18.674B
SpaceX reported $18.674B in FY2025 revenue and a $4.937B net loss in its 2026 prospectus.
2025Workday
Paradox, Sana, and Pipedream Deals
Workday closes the Paradox and Sana acquisitions and agrees to acquire AI integration platform Pipedream.
2026SpaceX
Prospectus lists SPCX and Starlink scale
The 2026 prospectus described a Nasdaq listing under SPCX and about 10.3M Starlink subscribers as of March 31, 2026.
2026Workday
Aneel Bhusri Returns as CEO
Workday announces on February 9, 2026 that Bhusri is returning as CEO and Eschenbach is stepping down.
2026Workday
Fiscal 2026 Revenue of $9.552B
Workday reports fiscal 2026 revenue of $9.552B, up 13.1%, and GAAP net income of $693M.
2026Workday
Q2 Fiscal 2027 Results
Workday reports Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue of $2.649B and says AI drove more than 25% of new ACV.
Acquisitions
Workday
- Paradox2025Undisclosed
- Sana2025Undisclosed
- Pipedream2025Undisclosed
- HiredScore2024Undisclosed
- Peakon2021$700M
- Adaptive Insights2018$1.6B
Questions about SpaceX vs Workday
Who is the CEO of SpaceX and Workday, Inc.?
SpaceX is led by Elon Musk and Workday, Inc. is led by Aneel Bhusri. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was SpaceX founded vs Workday, Inc.?
SpaceX was founded in 2002 — 3 years before Workday, Inc., which was founded in 2005. SpaceX's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Workday, Inc..
How many employees does SpaceX have compared to Workday, Inc.?
SpaceX employs approximately 22,621 people, while Workday, Inc. employs approximately 21,070. SpaceX has the larger workforce at 22,621 employees, compared to Workday, Inc.'s 21,070. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are SpaceX and Workday, Inc. headquartered?
Both SpaceX and Workday, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded SpaceX and Workday, Inc.?
SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk. Workday, Inc. was founded by Dave Duffield, Aneel Bhusri.
Which company has a longer operating history — SpaceX or Workday, Inc.?
SpaceX has been operating for approximately 24 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Workday, Inc. has been in operation for around 21 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the SpaceX vs Workday overview