Private rocket company SpaceX fired at least five employees after it discovered they had drafted and circulated a letter criticizing founder Elon Musk and urging executives to make the firm’s culture more inclusive, Two people familiar with the matter said.
Private rocket company SpaceX fired at least five employees after it discovered they had drafted and circulated a letter criticizing founder Elon Musk and urging executives to make the firm’s culture more inclusive, Two people familiar with the matter said.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that SpaceX had fired employees associated with the letter, citing three employees with knowledge of the situation. It did not give details of the number of employees fired.
The New York Times said SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell sent an email saying the company had investigated and “involved several employees” with the letter.
The newspaper said Shotwell’s email stated that employees involved in circulating the letter were fired for making other employees “feel uncomfortable, intimidated and threatened, and/or angry because the letter signed them.” which did not reflect his views”.
Reuters could not independently confirm that report.
Billionaire Musk is making a $44 billion bid for Twitter and has made clear his support for free control over speech on the site. On Thursday, he told Twitter employees that the platform should allow “very abusive things” as long as the content is not illegal.
The SpaceX letter, led by “an open letter to SpaceX executives” seen by Reuters, called Musk “distraction and embarrassment” at founding the company.
In a list of three demands, it said, “SpaceX must swiftly and clearly differentiate itself from Elon’s personal brand,” “to all leadership to make SpaceX a great place to work for all.” Equally accountable” and “Defining and responding equally to all forms of unacceptable behaviour”.
Musk, also the head of electric automaker Tesla Inc., has been in the limelight and featured in late-night comedy monologues in recent months, including his quest to take over Twitter, his criticism of Democrats and an alleged allegation of sexual harassment. which Musk denied in a Twitter post.
The open letter at SpaceX, first reported by The Verge, was drafted by SpaceX employees in recent weeks and shared as an attachment to an internal “Morell Booster” group chat, which has been shared by thousands of employees. brings together, said a person familiar with the matter, asking. The name should not be there.
Musk, who is also the company’s chief engineer, has been seen as a central figure in many of SpaceX’s high-profile successes, such as pioneering the reuse of orbital rocket boosters and leaving American soil after a nine-year hiatus. Bringing back regular manned spaceflight. ,
Shotwell, which leads much of the company’s day-to-day business, has said it will implement SpaceX’s “zero tolerance” standards against employee harassment.
Founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX has played a central role in the American space program, launching NASA astronauts into space from American soil and the only one for the space agency with plans to send humans to the Moon within the next decade. The company has become
SpaceX is also one of two companies the Pentagon relies on to launch US military and spy satellites into space.
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