Tesla Worker Creates Anti-Musk Website and Faces Devastating Consequences from His Own Employer

In a surprising turn of events, Matthew LaBrot, a former Tesla employee who had been with the company for nearly six years, became the face of internal resistance against the company's CEO, Elon Musk. LaBrot, once a devoted supporter of Tesla’s mission to revolutionize the electric vehicle and sustainable energy industries, found himself at odds with Musk’s leadership and political stances.

What followed was a dramatic clash, leading to LaBrot’s abrupt termination after creating a website calling for a change in leadership at Tesla.

Matthew LaBrot’s journey with Tesla began in 2019 after stints at Best Buy, Starbucks, and in real estate. Drawn to the company by its commitment to clean energy and sustainability, LaBrot quickly rose through the ranks, taking on a key role in sales and delivery training across North America.

Tesla, with its rapidly growing stock price and cutting-edge technology, seemed to be the perfect place for LaBrot to fulfill his career aspirations.

By 2022, LaBrot had even purchased his first home, thanks in part to the company’s financial success. He seemed to be living the dream, one that many would envy—working for one of the world’s most influential tech companies, fully supporting its products, and even driving Tesla's own vehicles: the Cybertruck and Model Y, alongside using the company's solar products to power his home.

However, over time, LaBrot’s admiration for Musk and the company began to wane. It was Musk’s takeover of Twitter in 2022 that first sparked LaBrot's growing disenchantment. Musk’s shift in focus toward political activism and his controversial actions related to his alignment with President Donald Trump only deepened LaBrot's concerns.

Musk’s political donations and his vocal support for Trump became increasingly hard for LaBrot to ignore. Musk’s endorsement of Trump and his financial contributions to Republican causes, including at least $277 million in political donations, pushed LaBrot to reconsider his stance on Musk’s leadership.

The final straw came after Musk made a controversial gesture during Trump’s inauguration, which many—including LaBrot—interpreted as a Nazi salute. For LaBrot, this gesture symbolized something far deeper than just a political misstep; it reflected Musk's increasing polarization and involvement in partisan politics.

"I couldn't just turn a blind eye anymore," LaBrot said. "When your CEO makes one of those decisions, it pulls the company along with it."

While Musk’s actions did not affect Tesla’s immediate product offerings, LaBrot found it increasingly difficult to reconcile Musk’s public persona with the values he once saw in the company. By early 2025, LaBrot had grown frustrated with Tesla’s lack of communication about how Musk's political views were affecting sales numbers and internal morale.

Despite ongoing protests at Tesla facilities, LaBrot noted, the company remained tight-lipped about Musk's influence on the workforce.

The tipping point came on April 22, when Musk announced he would shift his focus back to Tesla after spending time with the White House DOGE office. Two days later, LaBrot launched an anonymous website calling for Tesla to find a new CEO.

The website included an open letter, signed (in spirit) by multiple Tesla employees, which criticized Musk’s leadership and urged for a shift in company priorities. The site’s slogan: "Pro Clean Energy Pro Sustainability Pro EV Pro Tesla Anti Elon" became an emblem for LaBrot’s growing discontent.

LaBrot’s website was a turning point. He felt a sense of relief after publishing the open letter, describing it as a weight lifted off his shoulders. He had tried to voice his concerns in internal meetings, but the open letter was the first time his frustrations were articulated publicly.

However, the relief was short-lived. Less than 24 hours after the website went live, LaBrot took his protest a step further. He spray-painted his Cybertruck with the website’s slogan and displayed it outside a Tesla facility in California.

On April 26, LaBrot received a call from Tesla’s human resources department. The company informed him that he had been fired for using company resources to create a website that did not align with Tesla’s values. LaBrot, however, denied using any Tesla resources to build the site and maintained that the website was an independent initiative.

"I wasn’t planning on working anywhere else," LaBrot told Business Insider. "I was very happy with my position, and I could have continued to work in that role my whole life."

Despite the harsh consequences, LaBrot remained committed to his values. He continued attending Tesla protests and has received support from former Tesla employees who share his concerns. While he expressed disappointment with the company’s reaction, LaBrot understood the risks when he launched the website and stood by his actions.

LaBrot’s story highlights a growing tension between corporate leadership and employee activism. Tesla has long been seen as a company that promotes innovation, but LaBrot’s firing shines a light on the limits of dissent within such a powerful corporate structure.

Musk, as the face of Tesla and SpaceX, is an influential figure, but his growing involvement in politics and his controversial stances have alienated some employees. For LaBrot, the decision to stand up to Musk was not just about a difference of opinion on corporate strategy; it was about the ethical responsibility of corporate leaders in shaping public discourse.

Tesla’s reaction to LaBrot’s website and his firing raises important questions about corporate governance in the age of social media and political polarization. Can employees freely voice their concerns without fear of retaliation, or are they at the mercy of corporate power? LaBrot’s case serves as a cautionary tale for those who might consider speaking out against the leadership of powerful tech CEOs like Musk.

Although LaBrot has been fired, his actions have sparked conversations about the broader dynamics of corporate politics at Tesla. Internal dissension, while often hushed under the company’s glossy exterior, could be more widespread than initially thought.

LaBrot's protest, though unsuccessful in leading to immediate change, has underscored the growing tension between employees' personal values and the direction taken by their employers, especially in companies closely associated with their CEOs’ public personas.

Despite this, LaBrot remains an advocate for Tesla’s mission of sustainable energy and clean vehicles. His criticisms are directed at Musk’s leadership, not the company’s goals. For LaBrot, Tesla’s work in the electric vehicle and solar energy industries is still something he believes in deeply, even if he no longer believes Musk is the right person to lead the company forward.

As Tesla continues to face challenges related to Musk’s public image and its political entanglements, LaBrot’s protest serves as a reminder of the personal stakes involved for employees when leadership decisions diverge from the values they hold dear. Whether this incident will inspire more public dissent within Tesla or within other tech giants remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the intersection of politics, corporate leadership, and employee activism is becoming increasingly complex.

In conclusion, LaBrot’s creation of the anti-Musk website and the subsequent punishment he faced underscores the profound impact that personal beliefs, corporate policies, and public figures have on the tech industry. For many, the question remains whether employees should be allowed to express their opinions freely without risking their careers, or whether their loyalty to the company’s CEO is expected to outweigh their personal convictions.

The answers may not come easily, but LaBrot’s story provides a glimpse into the growing tensions that could define the future of corporate culture in Silicon Valley.