Elon Musk slammed for saying DEI is ‘another word for racism’

Billionaire Mark Cuban told Tesla CEO that diversity was good for business

Elon Musk attends the Atreju political meeting organised by Italian right wing party Brothers of Italy in December 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk was slammed by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban after the Tesla boss claimed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was “just another word for racism.”

Mr Musk posted about the topic on his X social media platform in the wake of the resignation of Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first Black president.

He wrote that DEI was “just another word for racism” in response to an essay by hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, the Harvard donor who was a prominent critic of Dr Gay.

Mr Ackman wrote in a 4,000-word piece that DEI was “racist” and that he was worried about “racism against white people.”

And Mr Musk agreed, posting “shame on anyone who uses” the phrase DEI. He then replied to one X user who denied that DEI was racist, stating “Discrimination on the basis of race, which DEI does, is literally the definition of racism.”

Mr Cuban, who owned the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and stars on Shark Tank hit back at Mr Musk’s claims, saying that DEI was good for business.

“Good businesses look where others don’t,” wrote Mr Cuban. “You may not agree, but I take it as a given that there are people of various races, ethnicities, orientation, etc that are regularly excluded from hiring consideration.”

And he added: “By extending our hiring search to include them, we can find people that are more qualified. The loss of DEI-phobic companies is my gain.”

“These are the same people that work for you or are your co-workers. Everyone is entitled to their [point of view], but these same feelings, even if they are [not] said out-loud, are heard loud and clear at work,” Mr Cuban concluded in his final post.

Although many of Mr Musk’s X followers seemingly agreed with his take, others were quick to attack the world’s richest person.

“Breaking: Rich white man tweets against diversity,” wrote one critic.

“Then why does Tesla have a DEI report?” One user asked pointedly.

“I’ll never be ashamed for wanting to make people feel welcomed and included,” added another person.

Another user added: “No. There’s so much overwhelming evidence that initiatives that benefit minorities and disadvantaged students can impact the trajectory of their lives, including their quality of life and earning potential. Denying the importance of programs that facilitate opportunities for minorities is ignorant.”