MUMBAI: The ties between Google and SpaceX are still firmly in orbit, but one of their long-standing boardroom links has now come back down to earth. Google executive Donald Harrison has stepped down from SpaceX’s board after more than a decade, with potential conflicts of interest involving Alphabet cited as the reason for his departure.
SpaceX disclosed Harrison’s resignation in a regulatory filing on Friday, 6 November 2026. He informed the company of his decision on 4 November, with the resignation taking effect immediately.
The company clarified that his exit was not the result of any disagreement with SpaceX over its operations, policies or practices. It also acknowledged his contribution during his years on the board and thanked him for his service.
Harrison has been with Google since 2005 and currently serves as president of Global Partnerships and Corporate Development. His departure comes as Alphabet maintains a substantial financial and commercial relationship with Elon Musk-led SpaceX, making the overlap between the companies’ interests increasingly significant.
Musk also addressed the resignation on X, saying Harrison had decided to leave because of the number of conflicts of interest involving Alphabet. He thanked the outgoing director for his contribution, describing him as a valuable board member.
Harrison’s exit does not signal a retreat by Alphabet from SpaceX. Google’s parent remains the rocket company’s largest institutional shareholder, holding approximately 555 million shares, up from 551.2 million previously, according to figures reported on Friday.
Alphabet first invested in SpaceX in 2015, when the company was valued at around $12 billion. Its stake was valued at approximately $74 billion as of Friday’s market close, while SpaceX’s market capitalisation stood at around $1.8 trillion.
The scale of that investment highlights the financial relationship that continues despite Harrison’s departure from the board. It also places the resignation against a wider backdrop of overlapping interests between the two technology companies.
The relationship is not limited to investment. Google is also a major customer of SpaceX, having agreed to pay the company’s AI division up to $920 million per month for computing capacity at data centres near Memphis, Tennessee.
The companies have also joined hands on Project Suncatcher, an initiative involving the launch of Google’s artificial intelligence chips into orbit using satellites developed in collaboration with Planet Labs.
Despite the boardroom change, Google has indicated that its broader relationship with SpaceX will continue. In an emailed statement to CNBC, the company said it remained supportive of SpaceX’s mission and looked forward to continuing its long-standing partnership.
Harrison’s resignation therefore marks a change in corporate governance rather than an announced break in commercial ties. Alphabet retains its substantial investment, Google remains a major customer, and the two companies continue to collaborate on technology projects.
For SpaceX, the immediate departure removes a board member whose senior role at Google placed him at the intersection of two companies with significant financial and strategic links. The filing, however, makes clear that the resignation was not prompted by a dispute over the way SpaceX is run.