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SpaceX’s (NASDAQ: SPCX) long-awaited market debut finally arrived on June 12, turning the rocket company into the biggest IPO story in history (1). Shares jumped nearly 19% during the first day of trading, sending its valuation to an eye-popping $2.1 trillion and transforming Elon Musk into the world’s first trillionaire.

But Musk wasn’t the only person who walked away with a life-changing payday. Thousands of SpaceX employees also saw their stock holdings skyrocket in value, with an estimated 4,400 workers becoming millionaires overnight (2).

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Among them was 27-year-old mariner Maryellyn Musselman, who was tasked with cleaning up floating rocket junk from the company’s many launches (3).

During her tenure at the firm, Musselman took advantage of the option to convert a portion of her paycheck (in her case, 10%) into SpaceX equity, which she held onto rather than reselling via secondary insider sales (3).

She remains tight-lipped about what her stake, which also includes shares she received as part of her compensation, amounted to after two years with the company — or is worth now following SpaceX’s historic debut on Nasdaq.

Musselman did confirm with The Wall Street Journal (3), however, that she hasn’t yet decided how quickly after the IPO she will release her holdings, the money from which she intends to use to open her own business, like others interviewed by the outlet earlier in June.

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Some experts purport that a $5,000 investment on Friday could realistically be worth (4) up to $8,745 in five years’ time. Others expect that, given the company’s speculative and arguably overvalued (5) nature, some early public investors could be in for “an expensive lesson” (6) down the line.

As one Reddit user (7) aptly wrote in a recent discussion about the IPO, “No one knows; SpaceX could rocket just from hype alone or its financial reality might hit it on day one.”

The IPO filing itself contained some revelatory financials, including for SpaceX’s AI arm, xAI, which reported operating losses of $6.4 billion last year. It only brought in $3.2 billion (8) in revenue — pretty standard for AI (9), though still cause for concern for those who worry about the sector’s potential future profitability and questionable returns (10) on billions in capital expenditures.

Among the aforementioned early investors are some of the big banks’ and funds’ most esteemed (read: wealthy) clients, who are already at the front of the line for shares. A whopping $500 million in fees (11) is anticipated to be on the table as a result of the transactions.

As noted by the WSJ, (4) and exemplified by Musselman, it’s not just desk workers who received SpaceX stock awards over the years, but also other salaried staff, ranging from baristas to welders. But, it will be the executives, such as SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Board Member Antonio Gracias, who stand to gain the most, with billions in estimated share valuations (12).

One analyst who appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box last week called the IPO (12) “one of the biggest liquidity events ever,” not only elevating Musk to the status of the world’s first trillionaire (13), but creating “several new billionaires and countless millionaires” as well. For reference, a 1% stake, at the $1.7+ trillion valuation the company is expected to hit after this round of financing, will be equivalent to $17 billion (14).

While the SpaceX IPO created a wave of excitement, some analysts believe the company’s current price leaves investors exposed if growth doesn’t match expectations.

CFRA initiated coverage of SpaceX with a “sell” rating on Friday and set a 12-month price target of $115 — roughly 29% below the stock’s closing price in those early days. The firm attributed its rating to SpaceX’s “extremely ambitious growth strategy, elevated valuation expectations, and significant capital intensity (15).”

That doesn’t mean investors have to give up on finding the next breakout stock. If you’re searching for potential winners without chasing companies trading at extreme valuations, tools like Moby can help uncover overlooked opportunities.

For those who don’t have time to comb through earnings reports, economic data and market trends every day, having professional research in your corner can make a big difference.

Moby’s team of former hedge fund analysts and experts spend hundreds of hours each week sifting through financial news and data to provide you with breaking stock recommendations.

And if you sign up for Moby Premium you get one free top stock.

Moby’s success speaks for itself. The platform’s stock picks have outperformed the S&P 500 index by about 11.9% over the past four years.

Even better, Moby offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can see if the service is right for you.

SpaceX’s IPO may have reminded investors that fortunes can be made in the stock market — but getting in early on the next big public offering isn’t always as simple as it looks.

Many IPOs experience sharp swings after debuting. And while some new listings go on to become long-term winners, others struggle once the initial excitement fades.

For everyday investors hoping to participate in future IPO opportunities, keeping costs low is one of the easiest ways to protect long-term returns. Even small fees can quietly chip away at your gains over years of investing.

That’s where discount brokers like SoFi shine.

SoFi’s easy-to-use DIY investing platform lets you buy stocks, ETFs and more with no commission fees and no account minimums.

The platform is designed for both beginners and seasoned investors, with real-time investing news, curated content and the data you need to make smart decisions about the stocks that matter most to you. What’s more, SoFi Active Invest members can access IPOs before they trade on an exchange.

Plus, for a limited time you can get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.

It’s tempting to jump into the latest IPO or chase whichever stock is dominating headlines. But IPO investing comes with plenty of risks, including unpredictable pricing, sharp volatility and potential lock-up periods that can prevent early investors from selling shares right away.

Rather than chasing the next trend, consider building a consistent investing routine with a diversified portfolio or broad-market index funds.

One way to stay disciplined is to automate your investing. Apps like Acorns allow users to invest spare change from everyday purchases automatically, helping them steadily build wealth without having to think about every market move.

All you have to do is link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio of ETFs managed by experts at leading investment firms like Vanguard and BlackRock.

While those amounts may seem small, consistency can be surprisingly powerful. Over time, those small deposits can snowball into a meaningful portfolio. Investing just $20 each week for 30 years can help you save over $179,000, assuming it compounds at 10% annually.

With Acorns, you can invest in an index ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today and set up a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

— With files from Becky Robertson

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We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

CNBC (1), (15); New York Times (2), (11); The Wall Street Journal (3); The Motley Fool (4); Fortune (5); The Globe and Mail (6); Reddit (7), (9); TechCrunch (8), (14); CNBC (10); CNBC Television/ YouTube (12); CNN (13)

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