A 25-year-old tech founder who refused to draw a salary in his company's early years has just sold Cursor to SpaceX for $60 billion (£44.6 billion). Michael Truell, the former Google intern who dropped out of MIT after one year, exemplifies the new generation of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who bet everything on product over profit. The acquisition was officially confirmed on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, marking SpaceX's first major purchase following its blockbuster Nasdaq IPO that valued the firm at more than $2 trillion (£1.49 trillion).
Truell is described as a reserved figure who prefers coding over public visibility. His journey from coding mobile games as a teenager to selling his company for $60 billion (£44.6 billion) defines a new generation of founders who prioritised product over profit. This deal represents the biggest validation yet of AI-assisted coding's transformation of software development.
