SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell defended Elon Musk in an e mail to staff final week, responding to sexual misconduct allegations directed on the CEO, CNBC has realized.
“Personally, I consider the allegations to be false; not as a result of I work for Elon, however as a result of I’ve labored intently with him for 20 years and by no means seen nor heard something resembling these allegations,” Shotwell wrote in a companywide e mail despatched on Friday and seen by CNBC.
Musk has denied the allegations, which declare he propositioned a flight attendant on considered one of SpaceX’s personal jets in 2016, calling them “wild accusations.”
In a response to Business Insider, which reported the allegations and that the flight attendant was paid $250,000 severance after confronting the corporate, Musk mentioned there may be “much more to this story,” describing it as a “politically motivated hit piece.” Neither Musk nor SpaceX’s vice chairman of the authorized division, Christopher Cardaci, denied the fee in statements to Business Insider.
Shotwell emphasised in her e mail that she “won’t ever touch upon any authorized issues involving employment points” earlier than noting Musk publicly denied the allegations as “completely unfaithful” in a tweet.
Shotwell, who’s No. 2 at SpaceX and the corporate’s prime feminine government, additionally famous within the e mail that SpaceX has a “ZERO tolerance” coverage for harassment, including that each accusation is taken critically and investigated, “no matter who’s concerned.”
SpaceX didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for touch upon Shotwell’s e mail.
SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell
Jay Westcott / NASA