The planning window is open right now. The most consequential decisions around a liquidity event happen before employees can sell, not after. Once the lock-up expires and shares are tradeable, you're executing a plan. The time to build that plan is now, while you still have options.
How SpaceX equity actually works
The challenge of staggered
post-IPO liquidity
SpaceX equity doesn't follow the traditional tech IPO playbook. With potential milestone-driven, staggered equity releases opening up early trading windows, a static, one-time sell strategy falls short.
Each release window carries its own holding-period status, cost basis, and tax exposure. That makes the decisions more granular, and more time-sensitive, than a single lock-up expiration date.
What we build for you
We build dynamic, multi-tier liquidation simulations that model your cash flow, portfolio diversification goals, and tax brackets concurrently around each individual release window, so every tranche is mapped before it unlocks.
What most employees miss
Four costly mistakes
we help you avoid
01
Waiting until the lock-up expires to start planning
By the time you can sell, most of the decisions that affect your tax bill are already locked in. ISO holding periods, estimated tax payments, and charitable giving structures all need to be in place before the liquidity window opens.
02
Selling on the first day without a tax strategy
Selling immediately feels like the safe move. For many employees it's the costliest one. Depending on your vest dates and holding periods, a few extra days or weeks can mean the difference between ordinary income rates and long-term capital gains.
03
No plan for what to do with the proceeds
After a major liquidity event, most employees have more money than they've ever managed at once. Without a plan, concentrated wealth stays concentrated, and a stock that made you wealthy can also be the thing that wipes it out.
04
Working with a CPA and advisor who don't talk
The most expensive gaps happen between your tax preparer and your financial advisor. The sell decision, the reinvestment plan, and the tax return all need to be built together, not handed off separately.
Integrated vs. disconnected
Why two separate advisors
leave money on the table
Engineers think in systems, processes, and risk parameters. Here is the structural vulnerability of relying on disconnected accounting and wealth platforms, side by side with the integrated alternative.
Traditional Advisor (CFP® Only)
Focuses on your diversified portfolio and investment risk, but lacks the advanced tax software to map multi-year AMT crossover points.
The Risk: A great investment plan that accidentally triggers a massive, unexpected tax bill.
Traditional Accountant (CPA Only)
Calculates your tax liabilities retroactively in April, months after the optimal window to execute or structure your equity has closed.
The Risk: Missed structural opportunities to minimize lifetime capital gains before the liquidity event.
The New Wave Solution (CPA + CFP®)
Simultaneously models your ISO exercise strategy alongside your net-worth goals in real time, under one roof.
The Result: Total confidence that your wealth strategy and tax strategy are perfectly unified.
What we cover
Everything you need,
before the lock-up lifts
01
Lock-up expiration sell schedule
We model the exact timing and sequencing of your sales around your vest dates, holding periods, California tax exposure, and long-term capital gains eligibility, so when the lock-up lifts, you have a plan that aligns with your goals.
02
Tax projection & withholding strategy
We calculate your full tax liability before you sell (federal, California, and AMT) and set up estimated payments to prevent a large underpayment penalty. Knowing your tax numbers before the event gives you confidence and clarity in executing your sales strategy.
03
ISO exercise & holding period strategy
If you have ISOs, the window for tax-advantaged treatment is time-sensitive. We map your optimal exercise timing and confirm your holding period status and AMT exposure before the lock-up expires, not after it's too late to act.
04
Post-sale investment & diversification plan
We build a diversified investment portfolio around your expected proceeds before you sell, so the money has somewhere to go the day the lock-up opens, not weeks later.
05
Charitable giving strategy
Donating appreciated shares directly, rather than selling first and donating cash, can eliminate capital gains tax on the donated amount. This strategy needs to be set up before the sale, not after.
06
Tax preparation & ongoing financial planning
We prepare your return the year of the sale and continue as your financial planning team, managing investments, tax strategy, and the decisions that follow a major liquidity event.
Pricing
Everything you need,
under one roof.
For SpaceX employees, a liquidity event doesn't create a one-time planning problem. It creates a permanent change in financial complexity. Ongoing Advising is how we handle all of it: the sell schedule, the tax strategy, the investment plan, and everything that comes after.
For SpaceX Employees
All-inclusive · Ongoing
Ongoing Advising
Tax preparation, financial planning, liquidity event strategy, and investment management, connected and built together.
$2,250/ quarter
+ 0.35% AUM (0–$5M) & 0.25% ($5M+)
Tax
- Individual tax preparation (1040)
- Ongoing tax planning, annual tax projection & withholding strategy
- Lock-up expiration sell schedule & tax modeling
Financial Planning
- Financial plan development and ongoing planning
- Equity compensation & ISO strategy
- Concentrated stock & diversification planning
- Retirement, education & cash flow strategy
- Major life-event planning (home purchase, job changes, family)
Investments
- Tax-efficient portfolio management
- Strategic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting & reporting
- Behavioral coaching & investment discipline
Access
- Ongoing meetings 3x/yr with unlimited access year-round
*Business tax prep available for an additional fee.
Who we are
Tax and financial planning,
built together.
built together.
Greg Meyer founded New Wave Financial Services to solve a problem he saw repeatedly at Deloitte Tax: clients working with a CPA and a financial advisor who never talked to each other. The tax strategy and the investment strategy were built in separate offices, and the gaps between them were expensive.
New Wave connects taxes, investments, and financial planning in one place. For SpaceX employees navigating a liquidity event, that integration isn't just a convenience. It's how you avoid the mistakes that cost the most.
Founder & Advisor
Greg Meyer
Founder of New Wave Financial Services. Started at Deloitte Tax in NYC and LA working with high-net-worth individuals on tax planning. Specializes in equity compensation, liquidity events, and integrated financial planning for tech professionals.
CPA · CFP®
Partner
Caitlin Meyer
Partner and Director of Business Development. Spent 14 years at Google/YouTube supporting some of the largest creators and media companies on audience growth, monetization, and business strategy.
14 yrs Google/YouTube
Fee structure
Fee-only fiduciary
We are legally required to act in your interest at all times. We do not earn commissions, referral fees, or kickbacks of any kind. You pay us directly, and nothing else influences our advice.
Common questions
What SpaceX employees
are asking us right now
When is the right time to start planning, before the IPO or after?
Now, regardless of where you are in the timeline. If the IPO hasn't happened yet, you still have the most options available: ISO exercise decisions, estimated tax setup, and charitable giving structures. If it's already happened, the lock-up window is your planning runway. Once shares are tradeable and you start selling, you're executing a plan, not building one.
How does California state AMT affect tech stock option execution?
Unlike the federal framework, California implements an aggressive, independent state-level Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) system with distinct exemption thresholds. Failing to model state-specific crossover points prior to execution can result in a severe, uncredited tax liability in the year of exercise. Unified tax modeling is required to safely balance federal and state AMT boundaries.
What is the lock-up period and how does it work for SpaceX employees?
SpaceX structured a staggered lock-up rather than the standard single 180-day cliff, which means employees will have multiple windows to sell before full expiration, each with its own tax implications.
The release schedule, based on the S-1 filing:
• Q2 earnings (mid-July to September): Up to 20% of eligible shares can be sold. An additional 10% unlocks if the stock has traded 30%+ above the IPO price for 5 of 10 consecutive trading days before that date.
• Time-based tranches: 7% unlocks at each of five post-IPO dates: 70, 90, 105, 120, and 135 days.
• Q3 earnings (mid-October to December): An additional 28% unlocks.
• Day 180 (mid-December): All remaining restrictions lift.
Because each tranche carries its own tax consequences depending on your holding period and vest date, the planning decisions are more granular, and more time-sensitive, than a single lock-up expiration date. That's exactly what we help you model in advance.
The release schedule, based on the S-1 filing:
• Q2 earnings (mid-July to September): Up to 20% of eligible shares can be sold. An additional 10% unlocks if the stock has traded 30%+ above the IPO price for 5 of 10 consecutive trading days before that date.
• Time-based tranches: 7% unlocks at each of five post-IPO dates: 70, 90, 105, 120, and 135 days.
• Q3 earnings (mid-October to December): An additional 28% unlocks.
• Day 180 (mid-December): All remaining restrictions lift.
Because each tranche carries its own tax consequences depending on your holding period and vest date, the planning decisions are more granular, and more time-sensitive, than a single lock-up expiration date. That's exactly what we help you model in advance.
I have ISOs. Does it matter whether I act before or after the IPO?
Yes, significantly. ISOs exercised before the liquidity date starts the clock on your qualifying disposition holding period. Waiting until after means your cost to exercise may be higher, and your window for long-term capital gains treatment has been extended. The right strategy depends on your AMT exposure, California tax situation, and how much cash you have available to exercise. There's no universal answer. It requires modeling your specific numbers.
Should I sell everything when the lock-up lifts, or hold some shares?
Neither extreme is usually right. Selling everything immediately can trigger significant capital gains and likely won't optimize for lower long-term capital gain rates. Holding everything concentrates your wealth in a single stock, which can be incredibly volatile. We model your specific vest dates, cost basis, and holding periods to build a sell schedule that balances tax efficiency with diversification.
What does Ongoing Advising cover for a SpaceX employee?
The lock-up sell schedule, ISO strategy, tax modeling, investment plan, and the annual tax return in the year of the sale. After the liquidity event, we continue as your financial planning team, managing investments, ongoing tax planning, and the decisions that follow a significant change in net worth. Most SpaceX clients who come to us for the liquidity event stay for the long term, because the complexity doesn't go away when the shares are sold.
Do you work with clients outside of California?
Yes. We are located in Hermosa Beach, California. All meetings are virtual and we can work with clients nationwide.
Get started
The planning window
won't stay open long.
A free 20-minute call. No sales pitch, just a direct conversation about your equity, your tax situation, and what needs to happen before the lock-up expires.
newwavefs.com · info@newwavefs.com · 213-316-8641
What to expect on your free 20-minute intro call
No pressure. A casual, confidential review of your current equity holding structure.
Clear framework. A look at how our unified tax and wealth modeling protects your downside.
Actionable steps. A clear outline of timelines to optimize your upcoming corporate liquidity event.