SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk stated in a tweet overdue Thursday that “wild accusations” towards him aren’t true after a Trade Insider document stated the aerospace corporate had paid $250,000 in severance to a non-public jet flight attendant who accused the billionaire of sexual misconduct.
The document, which cited interviews and paperwork got by means of Insider, stated the lady claimed that all the way through a therapeutic massage she was once giving Musk he uncovered his erect penis, touched her thigh with out her consent and introduced to shop for her a horse if she carried out intercourse acts. CNBC may no longer independently test the ones allegations.
Whilst Musk didn’t specify which accusations he was once relating to in his tweets, he advised Insider there was once “much more to this tale” as he requested the e-newsletter for extra time to answer the thing’s claims, in keeping with the hole.
“If I had been vulnerable to have interaction in sexual harassment, that is not likely to be the primary time in my complete 30-year occupation that it involves gentle,” Musk wrote to Insider, in keeping with the tale. He additionally stated its article was once a “politically motivated hit piece,” the hole reported.
Insider reported that it moved the e-newsletter cut-off date after Musk asked extra time to reply, however that he by no means made additional remark at the allegations. Christopher Cardaci, felony affairs vp at SpaceX, was once quoted by means of Insider as pronouncing, “I am not going to touch upon any agreement agreements.”
Later, Musk, with out referring without delay to the document, tweeted that “for the file, the ones wild accusations are totally unfaithful.”
“The assaults towards me will have to be considered via a political lens – that is their usual (despicable) playbook,” he tweeted.
The Insider document comes as Musk, who may be CEO of Tesla, is engaged as a way to acquire social media large Twitter. Friday morning, Musk tied the talk to his deal to shop for Twitter. “In my 30 yr occupation, together with all the MeToo technology, there is not anything to document, however, once I say I intend to revive unfastened speech to Twitter & vote Republican, abruptly there’s …” he wrote.
Insider reported that the alleged incident came about in Musk’s room aboard a SpaceX jet on a flight to London in overdue 2016, after the arena’s richest particular person requested her to present him a “complete frame therapeutic massage.”
CNBC reached out to Musk and SpaceX for touch upon the ones allegations however didn’t right away listen again.
“We stand by means of our tale, which is in response to paperwork and interviews and which speaks for itself,” an Insider spokesperson stated in accordance with a request for remark.
The allegations reported Thursday are detailed in a declaration signed by means of a pal of the flight attendant.
That declaration was once made to give a boost to a criticism that the lady’s legal professional had made to SpaceX’s human assets division in 2018 after she felt that her paintings alternatives on the corporate dwindled after she declined to have interaction in sexual touch with Musk, in keeping with Insider.
Neither the pal, who spoke with Insider, nor the lady, who declined to be interviewed by means of the e-newsletter, was once known by means of identify within the article. The flight attendant signed a nondisclosure settlement as a part of her agreement with SpaceX, in keeping with the document.
Insider reported that the pal stated the flight attendant advised her the tale about Musk in a while after it took place.
The hole reported that the pal stated she determined to show the lady’s allegation with out first asking the flight attendant as a result of she felt obliged as a survivor of sexual attack to reveal the declare towards Musk.
Insider reported that the flight attendant’s criticism to SpaceX’s HR division was once “resolved briefly after a consultation with a mediator that Musk in my view attended.”
The scoop outlet stated Musk, SpaceX and the flight attendant in November 2018 entered into an settlement to have the lady paid $250,000 in severance in change for promising to not document a lawsuit attached to her claims.
Learn the whole Insider document right here.
— CNBC’s Weizhen Tan and Michael Sheetz contributed to this document.
