Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

SpaceX Employees Fired After Penning Open Letter Criticizing Elon Musk's 'Harmful' Behavior

SpaceX Employees Fired After Penning Open Letter Criticizing Elon Musk's 'Harmful' Behavior
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

A handful of SpaceX employees have been fired for penning a letter that critiqued the company's CEO, Elon Musk.

The letter raised concerns about Musk's public behavior negatively impacting SpaceX's image.


It read in part:

"Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks."
“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 does not reflect our work, our mission, or our values.”

Musk was called out for problematic and unusual statements in the past.

Earlier this year, the billionaire was accused of sexually harassing and paying off a flight attendant.

The letter writers referred to the incident, saying it goes against the company's "No A**holes" and sexual misconduct policies.

According to The Verge, employees were urged to sign the letter and many agreed with the points discussed in an internal Microsoft Team's channel. It is unknown how many signatures the letter collected.

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell confirmed the sackings via a company wide email that read in part:

“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."

She also defended her boss, saying:

“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.”
“Anyone who knows Elon like I do, knows he would never conduct or condone this alleged inappropriate behavior.”

Twitter users reacted to news of the firings, pointing out Musk's past lauding of "free speech" meaning freedom from consequences.





Others criticized the company's culture and current state of affairs.







The letter is no surprise.

Workers all over the United States are no longer tolerating bad behavior in their leadership.

Musk himself has not commented on the firings or the letter.

More from News

Barack Obama
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Obama Offers Iconic Reaction After He Accidentally Photobombed A Family's Photos In DC

If you try to take nice pictures in a scenic location, there will likely be people wandering through the background of your photos, because everyone else will also be enjoying the scenery.

In most cases, people try to time the shots between passersby or edit them out afterwards, but after a photoshoot in Washington D.C., one family will definitely not be editing out the accidental guest walking among the cherry blossoms and the Washington Monument.

Keep ReadingShow less
children sitting on floor in classroom
CDC on Unsplash

Historical 'Facts' People Learned In School That Are Actually Not True

The phrase "history is written by the victors" is a common saying. It's often attributed to Winston Churchill, although there's no proof he said those exact words.

It points out that those who win conflicts shape how those events are remembered, recorded, and taught to future generations, leading to biased historical accounts and warped perceptions.

Keep ReadingShow less

Modern 'Conveniences' That Actually Make Life Harder

Making life simpler...

That is always the goal, right?

Keep ReadingShow less
Person holding cigarette
Luiz Rogério Nunes/Unsplash

One Night Stands That Turned Into A Total Nightmare

Ahh, the trials and tribulations of dating life.

On the one hand, it could be exciting and very promising. On the other hand, it could be a total disaster.

Keep ReadingShow less
Person's eyes glowing in the sunlight
Photo by Marina Vitale on Unsplash

People Who Clinically Died And Came Back To Life Share Their Experiences

We've all heard the questions about what happens when we die, whether there is life after death, and whether we really will walk through a tunnel of white light or not to get there.

But people who have had a near-death experience, in that they were declared clinically dead and were then resuscitated, might have the answers we're looking for, and their answers are quite peaceful.

Keep ReadingShow less