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A number of SpaceX employees circulated an open letter criticizing CEO Elon Musk for his “behavior in the public sphere.”
Things didn’t end well for these folks as they learned they’re now out of a job.
“We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism,” SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell responded to the letter.
The letter argued that “Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks.”
Employees said Musk’s behavior and messaging “does not reflect our work, our mission, or our values.” The letter exhorts SpaceX to “swiftly and explicitly separate itself from Elon’s personal brand.”
The letter continued: “As our CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX — every tweet that Elon sends is a de facto public statement by the company.”
“it is critical to make clear to our teams and to our potential talent pool that his messaging
Those responsible for the letter were fired. SpaceX President Shotwell noted that the letter and its solicitations made other employees “feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views.”
More on this story via Daily Wire:
The incident occurred weeks after a flight attendant accused Musk of exposing himself to her several years ago, touching her, and offering to buy her a horse in exchange for an erotic massage. Shotwell likewise dismissed the allegations to the company.
“Personally, I believe the allegations to be false; not because I work for Elon, but because I have worked closely with him for 20 years and never seen nor heard anything resembling these allegations,” Shotwell said.
The letter also came as Musk made headlines for announcing that he cast his ballot for Mayra Flores — a Mexican-American Republican congressional candidate who won a historically Democratic district in southern Texas — after earlier announcing that he would vote Republican in this year’s midterm elections. When asked online about who he was leaning toward supporting in the 2024 presidential election, Musk pointed to “DeSantis.”
Musk has been critical of other technology firms for their tendency toward radical progressivism. When Netflix shares plummeted earlier this year, Musk pinned the blame on the “woke mind virus” and affirmed that it represents “the biggest threat” to civilization.
Musk is also in the midst of purchasing Twitter for $44 billion and taking it private. He told the social media giant’s employees in a Thursday meeting that users should be able to post “pretty outrageous things” as the platform prioritizes “freedom of speech,” but not necessarily “freedom of reach.”
