SpaceX Reportedly Paid $250,000 To Settle Sexual Harassment Accusation Against Elon Musk
Forbes
SpaceX Reportedly Paid $250K to Settle Harassment Claim against Musk
Image copyright: Reuters [via The Independent]
The Facts
Elon Musk on Thurs. was reported to have been accused of soliciting sexual services from a flight attendant on his private jet in 2016, with his aerospace company SpaceX paying $250K to settle her allegations of sexual misconduct two years later.
Business Insider reported that the attendant, who worked as a member of the cabin crew on a contractual basis for SpaceX's corporate jet fleet, accused Musk of exposing himself to her, touching her leg without consent, and offering to buy her a horse in exchange for a massage.
The Spin
Narrative A
Musk, like many other rich and powerful men in this world, abused his power to take advantage of a woman in a vulnerable situation. His reportedly inappropriate advances ultimately amount to sexual harrasment and he needs to be held accountable.
Narrative B
This is the first allegation of sexual misconduct against Musk, and it clearly is a politically motivated hit piece against the tech mogul. The woman in question did not even come forward herself; instead, her friend did, and it's unclear whether she consulted with the flight attendant beforehand.
Narrative C
Musk's acolytes will no doubt read his ominous warning of impending "dirty tricks" as a remarkable prediction of how the Democratic liberal left media were going to try to take him down. But the truth is that Musk's tweet came on Wed. after - and probably because - Business Insider reached out to him for comment on the story.