Elon Musk Accused of Inappropriate Relationships with SpaceX Employees
Elon Musk allegedly had sexual relationships with a SpaceX executive and a former intern, while also asking another staff member to have his children, according to recent claims. These reports add to a series of allegations about the tech billionaire's conduct in the workplace.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Musk, 52, was involved with an intern 20 years his junior and attempted to rekindle the romance when she formally joined SpaceX. She first met Musk in the early 2010s while still in college after contacting him about improving SpaceX. He allegedly flew her to Sicily, Italy, for an exclusive Google conference.
In 2017, Musk offered her a full-time position at SpaceX, where she was tasked with identifying company issues. According to the Journal, he invited her for drinks and touched her inappropriately, allegedly remarking, "Oh, I'm so bad. I shouldn't be doing this." She rejected his advances but claimed he continued to text her frequently and invited her to his home.
In her affidavit, the intern stated there was no romantic relationship during her tenure at SpaceX, and he was never predatory. However, Musk is also accused of repeatedly asking another female employee to have children with him before she received a £780,000 payoff and left the firm in 2013.
Further allegations suggest Musk had a relationship with a female SpaceX executive in 2014, while separated but not yet divorced from his ex-wife Talulah Riley. He allegedly invited the executive, who worked directly for him, to his Bel-Air mansion for drinks, where he praised her for her "beauty and brains." The Journal reports they had sex, and the next morning he promised her Tesla stock. She eventually negotiated a £66,000 exit package from SpaceX after feeling used.
These allegations follow claims that Musk, worth at least £160 billion, propositioned a flight attendant for sex in 2016 by offering to buy her a horse. Several former employees have reported that Musk made advances or gave them undue attention.
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s Chief Operating Officer, stated that the Journal's reporting painted a "completely misleading narrative." Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, did not respond to a request for comment.
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