No person makes more headlines in the tech industry than Elon Musk. His companies have made him a household name and since turning his gaze onto a possible Twitter acquisition it has only been amplified. Now, SpaceX has fired employees who participated in writing and distributing an open letter criticizing Elon Musk.
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According to a New York Times report, the letter called Musk’s behaviour on social media “a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment” and asked SpaceX to condemn his actions. Many experts believe this action by SpaceX is illegal in US Labour Law, but no lawsuit has been brought forward (as of the time of writing).
It isn’t clear how many of the signatories of the letter have been fired, but according to an email from SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell seen by the New York Times several of them were the organizers of this letter.
“SpaceX has terminated a number of employees involved” with the letter, she wrote. “The letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views. We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism,” said Shotwell.
This comes after recent accusations by some SpaceX employees of sexual misconduct by Musk, which reportedly led to a $250,000 from the company. Musk called the accusations “utterly untrue”, but these types of settlements are quite routine in the US. SpaceX would rather these matters not head into the public eye, hence it doesn’t want it to head to court.
“Blanketing thousands of people across the company with repeated unsolicited emails and asking them to sign letters and fill out unsponsored surveys during the work day is not acceptable. Please stay focused on the SpaceX mission, and use your time to do your best work. This is how we will get to Mars,” Shotwell said of the letter that went around.
