PRESS RELEASE: Mattel Inks Multi-Year Agreement with SpaceX

Mattel’s Multi-Year Agreement with SpaceX to Produce Inspirational Toys is a Teachable Moment

Wealth manager says toymaker’s deal proves that good planning and innovation are two important qualities we should all strive for when it concerns our financial future.   

LONG BEACH, CA (August 9, 2022) – Mattel Inc.’s recent announcement of its deal with SpaceX to create a line of toys “that inspire children and collectors alike to tap into their inner space explorer” should more broadly inspire everyone else too.

A pairing between the toymaking giant and the private space industry darling makes sense. Mattel, which has been opening the hearts and minds of children since 1945, is headquartered in El Segundo, a center of Southern California’s space and technology hub. SpaceX’s headquarters is a few miles down the street in Hawthorne, and the Elon Musk-powered upstart has paved the way for the future of the private space industry.

Mattel over the years has launched childhood mainstays like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and Thomas & Friends. Now it will be releasing “SpaceX-inspired toys” under its Matchbox brand, and collectibles under Mattel Creations, a direct-to-consumer platform.

Mattel and its 36,000-plus employees have the proven power to launch successful new lines of toys, and thanks to $9.6 billion in funding over 28 rounds, SpaceX promises to be launching rockets and grabbing our attention for years to come.

“We take pride in our ability to create products and experiences that honor cultural moments and inspire humankind,” Nick Karamanos, SVP Entertainment Partnerships at Mattel, stated in announcement of the deal. “As space exploration advances more quickly than ever before, we are thrilled to work with SpaceX and help spark limitless play patterns for the space explorer in every kid.”

Innovation, original thinking, and most importantly, having a good plan? Those aren’t new concepts for the toy sector, private space, or the tech sector. And they are facts that are well known by employees in those fields who make all of this happen.

According to Derek Munchow, Managing Partner with Augustus Wealth, “Most of these innovative employees also have equity compensation and may be planning to use their company stock to push their children’s college savings to new heights.  They should consider putting some of their efforts and brainpower into financial planning to optimize their hard-earned money”.

Munchow is a financial planner specializing in equity compensation for space and technology employees. He also has several clients in the toy industry.

“Thinking ahead and planning for the future – this is a hallmark of smart people who do the work now in order to make the most of tomorrow,” Munchow said. “Now is the time for employees with stock options to start this process by contacting a financial planner or tax professional. Just like the innovative thinking behind the Mattel-SpaceX toy partnership, the best foundation for success requires a clear strategy and proper execution. SpaceX didn’t get to space without a good plan, nor has Mattel survived three-quarters of a century without one.”