SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell defended Elon Musk In an email to employees last week, in response to allegations of sexual misconduct against the CEO, CNBC was made aware.
“I personally believe these allegations are false; not because I work for Elon, but because I have worked closely with him for 20 years and have never seen or heard anything like it. similar to these allegations,” Shotwell wrote in a company-wide email sent on Friday and viewed by CNBC.
Musk has denied the allegationswhich claimed he asked a flight attendant on one of SpaceX’s private jets in 2016, calling them “extravagant accusations”.
Speaking to Business Insider, which reported the allegations and that the flight attendant was paid $250,000 in severance after confronting the company, Musk said “there’s more to this story,” describing it as a “politically motivated hit”. Neither Musk nor SpaceX’s vice president of legal affairs, Christopher Cardaci, denied the payment in statements to Business Insider.
Shotwell emphasized in her email that she “will never comment on any employment-related legal matter” before noting that Musk has publicly denied the allegations are “completely complete.” Totally untrue” in a tweet.
Shotwell, the #2 person at SpaceX and the company’s top female executive, also noted in the email that SpaceX has a “zero tolerance” policy for harassment, adding that any allegations are all seriously considered and investigated”, regardless of who is involved.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Shotwell’s email.
SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell
Jay Westcott / NASA
