Elon Musk Apologizes to Laid off Tesla Employees

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has apologized to his staff for a significant error that occurred during the company’s recent restructuring. In an email sent to employees, Musk acknowledged that some severance packages had been incorrectly calculated and expressed regret for the mistake. He assured his staff that the issue would be addressed immediately.

The apology came after Tesla ( TSLA ) laid off approximately 14,000 employees, or 10% of its workforce, citing the company’s “rapid growth” and the need to eliminate duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas. Musk described the decision as a difficult one, made after a thorough review of the organization.

The severance pay error is not the first time Musk has been accused of failing to compensate former employees. In a lawsuit brought against him by former Twitter executives, Musk was accused of declining to pay severance to those he had allegedly fired without reason. The executives claimed that Musk owed them $128 million in severance pay.

Musk’s handling of Twitter, which he acquired in 2022 and now operates as X, has also attracted criticism. In an interview, Musk claimed to have reduced the company’s staff by 80%, cutting over 6,000 jobs, in an effort to prevent the company from going bankrupt. However, the lawsuit claims that Musk has earned a reputation for not paying his bills, citing a large number of lawsuits from vendors and service providers who claim they are owed money.

The lawsuit also references a website that tracks Twitter/X’s alleged missed payments, and the individual who operates the site has reportedly been banned from the social media platform.

Despite these challenges, Tesla ( TSLA ) remains one of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the automotive industry, with a strong commitment to sustainability and electric vehicles. The company’s future success will depend on its ability to navigate these challenges and continue to innovate and grow.