In a surprising statement on Friday evening, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of Tesla Inc., dismissed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as “propaganda words.” This comes despite Tesla’s own efforts to emphasize and promote such initiatives within the company.
Musk, who is known for his outspoken views, made these comments on the social media platform X, which he owns. Despite Tesla’s commitment to a diverse workforce and the publication of its first-ever DEI report in December 2020, Musk expressed skepticism towards these principles.
Tesla’s 2022 Impact Report proudly states, “We are proud to be a majority-minority company with a large representation of employees from communities that have long struggled to break through the historic roadblocks to equal opportunity in the U.S.” The company has organized hiring events targeting underrepresented groups, internal celebrations of diversity, and the launch of a nationwide internal DEI newsletter.
However, Tesla has faced legal challenges regarding racial discrimination. In February 2022, California’s civil rights agency sued Tesla for “rampant racism” on behalf of Black workers at the company’s Fremont factory. In September, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also sued Tesla for subjecting Black workers “to severe or pervasive racial harassment.”
Musk’s recent comments have sparked discussions about the stance of prominent figures on DEI initiatives and their impact on corporate culture.
