- A French aerospace company has seen a spike in US-based applications since targeting SpaceX employees.
- Latitude, a rocket company headquartered outside Paris, is trying to lure SpaceX employees.
- Elon Musk announced earlier this month that he would relocate SpaceX from California to Texas.
A French aerospace company is trying to convince disgruntled American SpaceX employees to leave the US for Europe after billionaire Elon Musk announced he would relocate his rocket company from California to Texas.
The offer comes days after Musk announced his intention to relocate SpaceX out of California after the state passed a law protecting LGBTQ+ youth, which Musk called a “breaking point” in a post on X.
Stanislas Maximin, Latitude CEO, jumped at the chance to recruit unhappy SpaceX employees suddenly facing interstate moves.
In a LinkedIn post, Maximin addressed those employees directly, encouraging any SpaceX workers who may “not align” with Musk’s values and who want to join an “inclusive and highly ambitious rocket company” to check out Latitude.
“Of course we make small rockets, but also high-performance engines, fully reusable and with a high launch rate,” Maximin wrote. “You will definitely be able to show your skills to the world.”
The CEO made a tempting offer to applicants, saying the company would take care of “everything,” including relocation logistics, visas, health care, housing, employment for partners, and education for children.
“Some people have already taken the risk, join them at Latitude!” Maximin wrote. “I personally offer 12 bottles of champagne for everyone who takes the risk!”
The offer may have already been successful, according to CNBC Make It, which reported this week that Latitude has received a surge in applications from American engineers since Musk’s announcement and Maximin’s offer.
A Latitude spokesperson told the outlet that it received applications for a month in the past week, with 89% of applications coming from U.S.-based candidates. Among the most represented U.S. companies were SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and Tesla, the spokesperson said.
Maximin told CNBC that his LinkedIn post garnered about 200 messages and helped him increase his connections on the site by a third.
He added that he did not intend his invitation to be a dig at SpaceX, which he called “one of the best engineering companies in the world.” Instead, Maximin wanted to offer new opportunities for Americans in Europe, he told the outlet.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Latitude is a much smaller company than SpaceX, with about 140 employees, compared to Musk’s about 13,000.
However, the surge in applications for the company is in line with increasing interest among Americans in moving abroad.
“We’ve done it many times,” Maximin told CNBC about hiring foreigners.
Musk drew attention earlier this month with his announcement of the relocation in response to a newly passed California law that prohibits school districts from requiring educators to inform parents about a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The billionaire has not said when he intends to move SpaceX from California to Texas, though it’s possible some plans were already in the works before his social media announcement. Musk has made the Lonestar State his home base in recent years, moving Tesla’s headquarters to Texas from California during the pandemic.
