SpaceX fires employees who wrote open letter complaining about Elon Musk: report

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

According to The New York Times, a number of employees were fired for writing and sharing a letter critical of Musk.

The open letter said that Musk's behavior was a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment. It asks the company to publicly address and condemn the behavior of the man.

The letter writers said that the CEO is seen as the face of the company because of his frequent public statements. It's important to make clear to our teams and potential talent pool that his messaging doesn't reflect our work, our mission, or our values.

The Times is reporting that a number of the letter's drafters were fired Thursday afternoon.

Shotwell stated in the email that a number of employees had been terminated. Shotwell wrote that the letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that didn't reflect their views. We have too much important work to be doing overreaching activism.

If we hear back, we will update this story with more information.

Since his proposed acquisition ofTwitter, Musk's behavior has attracted more attention. According to Insider, Musk exposed himself to a flight attendant and propositioned her. Musk told another person that they could have a horse if they touched his wiener.