Elon Emails

Leak crackdown: sign a declaration or confess for amnesty

From:
Elon Musk
Date:
March 2009 (Published by The Truth About Cars on 2009-03-06 as 'recently sent'; exact send date not given)
To:
All Tesla employees and contractors (Bay Area)
I'm a big believer in trusting employees and sharing information widely within the company, rather than confining it to a narrow set of senior execs and giving everyone else the mushroom treatment. Providing people with an understanding of what problems need to be overcome helps them align and prioritize their actions in pursuit of the greater good. It also ensures that all employees feel included and part of the same team. This is why I'm so concerned about the continuing leaks to media. It really hurts free communication when even minor issues are leaked and blown way out of proportion. It is nutty that a company like Tesla, which is doing really well right now (how many companies can say that they're sold out through October?) should suffer from misleading articles on blog sites that would have no credibility, but for a purported inside leak. The leaks often aren't even accurate! This kills trust and creates a negative atmosphere within Tesla. It has to stop. Today, the legal department will circulate a declaration form to all employees and contractors within the Bay Area. People will be asked to provide their word of honor and signature that they haven't knowingly leaked any Tesla confidential information to the media. They'll be reminded in clearly written language of the substantial liability they would incur for disclosure of confidential information in willful violation of the confidentiality agreement they signed with Tesla. If someone does not tell the full truth here, please take my word that you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Alternatively, people will be given the option of listing every leak they have made, whether published or not. If you fully disclose any leak you have done, the consequences will be precisely nothing. You will be completely forgiven and, unlike Peng, won't be asked to publicly apologize to the company. The actions of any one person can't be allowed to hurt the vast majority of people at Tesla who are working incredibly hard to make a difference in the world. Elon

About this email

Musk tells staff that continuing leaks to the media are destroying trust, announces that legal will circulate a declaration every Bay Area employee and contractor must sign, and offers full amnesty to anyone who discloses past leaks.

Notes

TTAC inserted its own editorial aside '(ed: as opposed to convoluted plumb-and-purge operations?)' after 'negative atmosphere within Tesla.'; that aside is not Musk's and has been removed here. TTAC reported each copy carried subtle textual variations to trace leakers, so wording of other copies may differ slightly. Originally surfaced via Valleywag/Gawker.

Where it came from

Leaked to press; attribution widely reported.

Tesla, company-wide memo. Tags: leaks, confidentiality, legal, culture