Musk's Tesla accused of stiffing contractors, leaving them unpaid
Elon Musk's way of running Tesla has left many small contractors unpaid and in serious financial trouble.
One Gigafactory contractor summed it up: "His goal is to run through everything now - he doesn't care what or who that impacts - to save the future of the world."
In Texas alone, Tesla racked up over $110 million in lien filings over five years—with $24 million still unpaid.
Companies go bankrupt waiting for payments
Some companies have gone bankrupt waiting for their money.
Jennifer Meissner, who ran a pipe welding business for Tesla's Austin Gigafactory, said she had to file for bankruptcy after payments stopped—even though her business was growing.
Legal expert Ethan Jacobs called out Musk's habit of only paying when sued, saying it's "not the way I have generally seen people doing business."
Other Musk companies also face similar accusations
It's not just Tesla—other Musk companies like Twitter (now X) and SpaceX face similar accusations.
Twitter reportedly skipped rent and bonuses, leading to lawsuits; SpaceX contractors also say they haven't been paid.
This pattern of holding back payments has sparked legal complaints across several of Musk's ventures, raising questions about his management style.