Elon Musk has been accused of creating a work environment at his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, that made women employees uncomfortable, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The report alleges that Musk had sexual relationships with employees and engaged in inappropriate behavior.
In one instance, a SpaceX flight attendant claimed that Musk exposed himself to her in 2016 and offered to buy her a horse in exchange for sex acts. Another woman who resigned from SpaceX in 2013 alleged that Musk had asked her to have his babies during exit negotiations. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk had a month-long sexual relationship with a direct report in 2014, which ended badly and forced her to leave the company under a non-disclosure agreement.
Moreover, female employees at Tesla reported receiving an unusual amount of attention from Musk, which contributed to their discomfort. The report highlighted text exchanges where Musk invited a female SpaceX employee to his house at night, leading to repeated, uncomfortable invitations.
In response, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and COO, defended Musk, stating, “The untruths, mischaracterizations, and revisionist history in your email paint a completely misleading narrative. I continue to be amazed by what this extraordinary group of people are achieving every day even amidst all the forces acting against us. And Elon is one of the best humans I know.”
These allegations come amidst broader concerns about Musk’s reported use of illegal drugs, which has raised eyebrows among some executives and board members of both SpaceX and Tesla. The ongoing revelations have cast a shadow over Musk’s leadership, prompting further scrutiny of his behavior and the culture within his companies.
