SpaceX, a private rocket company, fired an employee on Thursday who helped create and distribute an open letter criticizing CEO Elon Musk’s actions, three employees aware of the situation said. Said.
Some SpaceX employees began circulating letters condemning Mr. Musk’s activities on Twitter on Wednesday. The letter called Billionaire’s public actions and tweets “a frequent cause of distraction and embarrassment,” and asked the company to detain him. Musk is currently signing a $ 44 billion deal to buy Twitter.
By Thursday afternoon, SpaceX had dismissed some of the organizers of the letter, according to an email from three employees and SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell. In her email received by the New York Times, she said in the letter that the company “investigated and dismissed many of the employees involved.”
“Letters, solicitations, and general processes have forced employees to sign things that do not reflect their views, causing discomfort, intimidation, bullying, and / or anger. “Shotwell wrote. “We have too much important work to accomplish and we don’t need this kind of overkill.”
The number of employees dismissed was unknown. SpaceX spokesman James Gleeson didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
The open letter followed a recently published accusation of sexual misconduct against Mr. Musk, whose acquisition of Twitter is controversial. On Thursday, Musk spoke to a Twitter employee for the first time since his takeover offer via a video call to answer their question.
May, insider Flight attendants reported that Mr. Musk had suggested a sexual massage during his flight to London in 2016. Her flight attendant also said she exposed herself and offered her her horse. Independently verified by the Times.
Mr. Musk called the accusation “Not true at all“Joke on Twitter about the horse and his genitals. Last month, Shotwell said in an email to SpaceX employees that he “personally” believed that Musk’s allegations of sexual harassment were false.
At SpaceX, Mr. Musk is rarely challenged by his workers, three employees said on anonymous terms. Earlier this month, he emailed company workers that they had to spend at least 40 hours in the office or face a severance.
Musk’s open letter on online activities states that SpaceX leaders “publicly address and blame Elon’s harmful Twitter behavior” and “define and respond uniformly to all forms of unacceptable behavior.” Asked.
In an email to staff, Shotwell said, “We accept repetitive emails to thousands of people throughout the company, asking them to sign letters and fill out unsponsored investigations on working days. I can’t. “
“Focus on SpaceX’s mission and spend your time doing your best,” she continued. “This is how we reach Mars.”
