An investigation by a US media outlet uncovered a series of unflattering details regarding safety procedures at the manufacturing company SpaceX, including that owner Elon Musk allegedly instructed workers not to wear safety uniforms because he disliked their color.
The claim was revealed Friday in a report based on testimony from more than a dozen current and former employees at the military contractor and satellite communications company.
Workers at SpaceX claimed the mercurial tech magnate personally dislikes bright colors and discouraged them from wearing the bright yellow outfits. Former supervisors said some employees were instructed not to wear the safety vests when Musk was around, and to use red safety tape instead of yellow. He reportedly also had industrial machinery that were painted yellow (for safety reasons) repainted in shades of black or blue.
The investigation revealed over 600 worker injuries that were previously undisclosed since 2014, including eight incidents leading to amputations.
SpaceX has been fined $50,836 for violations leading to seven serious injuries and one death according to records, an insignificant amount for the multi-billionaire Musk. The defiance of regulations contributed to incidents where one worker suffered a skull fracture and another was forced to have his leg amputated. But understaffing at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration contributed to numerous episodes where required inspections at Musk’s plants were never carried out.
Francisco Cabada, the worker who suffered the skull fracture, remains in a coma almost two years after his accident. Doctors say he may never recover. The Los Angeles native is a father of three.
Musk is a controversial figure who’s often attracted criticism, especially after his purchase of social media platform Twitter last year, which he’s attempted to rebrand as the platform “X.” The billionaire has been criticized for retweeting and interacting with antisemitic and white supremacist accounts on the platform. Reports have indicated that neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content has become more common on X since Musk’s takeover.
A Musk biographer recently revealed the businessman’s mental health deteriorated after an incident where he was booed by the audience at an event with comedian Dave Chapelle in San Francisco last year. Employees considered calling local police to perform a wellness check after he locked himself in his office and refused to leave.
The temperamental billionaire is the son of Errol Musk, a property developer who owned emerald mines in apartheid-era South Africa.