SpaceX Fires Employees Behind Musk Open Letter

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SpaceX has created it distinct, in no unsure phrases, that criticism of founder and CEO Elon Musk will not be tolerated. Just days soon after a team of personnel produced an open up letter criticizing Musk, some of individuals associated have discovered by themselves out of a job. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell sent an e mail (that didn’t address the content material of the letter), declaring the writers designed many others “uncomfortable” with the release and violated the enterprise handbook by inquiring staff members to signal the assertion.

The letter, unveiled in an inside Microsoft Groups chat with extra than 2,600 workers, questioned the enterprise to different by itself from Musk’s significantly erratic on the internet persona. In the weeks considering the fact that promises of sexual misconduct surfaced, Musk has used his Twitter account to converse out towards “wokeness,” lower delivery fees, and Democrats. 

Shotwell’s letter, introduced by The Verge, notes that this is a busy time for SpaceX. It has various launches coming up in the subsequent week, and it has to assistance the lately released Dragon cargo mission. SpaceX is also relocating towards the first orbital launch of Starship this summer time. The open up letter claimed that Elon Musk’s on the web habits is a distraction to the group, but Shotwell states, no, it’s the letter that was the distraction. 

Elon Musk has been locked in an ever more weird general public battle to total his acquire of Twitter, an effort he promises is about totally free speech. Twitter has arrive under fire from conservatives for its choice to suppress COVID and election misinformation, as effectively as the banning of former president Trump. Irrespective of calling himself a “free speech absolutist,” Musk has routinely cracked down on dissent at his providers — the hottest firings at SpaceX are just the most latest instance. 

Cost-free speech is important to a operating democracy.

Do you believe that Twitter rigorously adheres to this basic principle?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022

It is unclear how quite a few employees have gotten the axe next the letter’s release, but the doc originally mentioned it was the item of weeks of feedback from workers throughout the organization at various stages of seniority. The group sought to have additional staff indicator on, both by name or anonymously. Shotwell’s letter calls this an case in point of “overreaching activism.” At least just one employee, who is remaining anonymous for apparent explanations, states Shotwell’s e-mail is seen as “tone deaf” by workers. On the other hand, it is not likely any individual will say that out loud now.

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