SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle sexual harassment claim against Elon Musk: Report

SpaceX paid an employee $250,000 to settle a claim she was sexually harassed by Elon Musk in 2016, according to a report from Insider.

The closely held rocket launch company, of which Musk is founder and chief executive officer, made the payment in 2018 to an unidentified flight attendant who worked as a contract employee on a SpaceX corporate jet, the online news provider said, citing interviews and documents, including a declaration signed by a friend of the attendant and made in support of her claim.

Representatives for Hawthorne, California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp. did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Musk did not respond to an email seeking comment. Alex Spiro, who serves as Musk’s outside counsel, did not respond to a text message.

The attendant alleged that Musk exposed himself and propositioned her during a flight in a private room on the plane, according to the friend, the report said. Musk offered to buy the attendant a horse in exchange for an erotic massage, it said.