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Elon Musk was accused of sexual misconduct and paid $250,000 to cover up: Report

NEW DELHIEdited By: Nikhil PandeyUpdated: May 20, 2022, 11:33 AM IST
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SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks on a screen during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain Photograph:(AFP)

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It was during a massage on a flight to London that Musk allegedly exposed himself and "propositioned" her. However, in a brief reply to Business Insider, Musk disputed the sexual allegations, stressing that there was "a lot more to this tale."

After a flight attendant on the company's corporate jet accused Elon Musk of exposing himself to her mid-flight, SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle a sexual misconduct lawsuit against him, according to a report from Business Insider. 

The incident occurred in 2016, according to Insider, and the firm settled with the anonymous flight attendant in 2018, according to a friend of the flight attendant who was notified about the incident at the time but is not bound by any non-disclosure agreements with the company. 

Musk is said to have requested a "full body massage" and promised to buy the flight attendant a horse if she would "do more." The flight attendant was reportedly encouraged to pay for professional massage training out of her own cash so that she could better assist Musk during flights, according to Insider.

Musk denied the sexual claims in a brief statement to Business Insider, insisting that there is "a lot more to this story."
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One of the flight attendant's friends told Insider about the allegations after the attendant's attorney requested him to sign a declaration supporting the claims in 2018. According to Insider, the flight attendant declined to perform any sexual acts on Musk and was "very furious" after the journey. Following the event, her companion claimed that SpaceX reduced the number of shifts she was assigned, which the attendant interpreted as vengeance.

According to Insider, the flight attendant complained to SpaceX's HR department in 2018, claiming that her career had suffered as a result of her rejection. According to reports, the firm brought the complaint to a mediator rather than a court or an arbitrator, and the attendant signed a $250,000 severance agreement prohibiting her from criticising Musk or his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla. This included discussing the payment in general.

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