This paper examines the leadership ethics of Elon Musk, focusing on his undisclosed romantic relationship with Shivon Zilis, a subordinate at Neuralink and Tesla. Drawing on Northouse's leadership framework, the paper defines ethical leadership principles—including honesty, integrity, fairness, and accountability—and evaluates Musk's conduct against those standards. It explores the relevance of the Me Too Movement to workplace power dynamics, applies deontological and utilitarian frameworks to assess Musk's behavior, and identifies his actions as consistent with ethical egoism and the "dark side of leadership." The paper concludes by recommending that Musk adopt duty ethics and embrace genuine accountability to restore trust among employees, shareholders, and the broader public.
The paper exemplifies applied ethics analysis: it takes abstract moral frameworks (duty ethics, ethical egoism, virtue ethics) and tests them against observable leadership behavior. By naming the specific framework that best characterizes Musk's conduct (ethical egoism) and contrasting it with the preferred alternative (deontology), the author demonstrates how theoretical distinctions translate into practical leadership judgments.
The paper follows a classic argument structure: an introduction establishing Musk's profile and the paper's focus; a definitional section explaining leadership ethics and the scandal's context; a normative section outlining what ethical leaders should do; a diagnostic section explaining why Musk's behavior is problematic; a prescriptive solution section; and a brief conclusion calling for a shift from ethical egoism to duty ethics. Each section builds on the previous one, maintaining a clear argumentative thread throughout.
Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX and The Boring Company, a tunnel construction firm. He co-founded Tesla Motors, where he currently serves as CEO, and also co-founded Neuralink, a company developing brain-computer interfaces. In addition, he founded OpenAI, a non-profit research organization devoted to advancing artificial intelligence in a responsible way. Musk is known for his bold leadership style and unconventional approach to business. He has been praised for his vision and ambition, as well as his stated commitment to ethics and safety. Forbes has listed him as one of the most powerful people in the world, and Time magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world (Moskowitz, 2022).
Musk is a highly respected figure in the business world, known for his innovative thinking and his dedication to developing technology that makes a meaningful difference. However, he has also been controversial at times, facing criticism for his business practices and his personal conduct. This paper examines the leadership ethics of Elon Musk, with particular attention to the recent disclosure of an undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate at Neuralink who also worked under him at Tesla.
Musk has faced numerous scandals—from tweeting about taking Tesla private to being sued for defaming a cave-diving hero—but his most recent controversy may be the one that most sharply illuminates what it means to exercise leadership ethics. Leadership ethics refer to the moral principles that guide a leader's decision-making and actions (Northouse, 2021). These principles help leaders act in ways that are beneficial to both individuals and groups while adhering to codes of conduct and legal regulations. Although there is no definitive list of leadership ethics, common principles include honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect for others. By adhering to these principles, leaders can create an ethical workplace culture and build trusting relationships with employees, customers, and other stakeholders—leading, in turn, to improved communication, increased productivity, and greater overall organizational success.
Ethical leadership is grounded in the belief that leaders have a responsibility to act in ways that are morally upright and just. This type of leadership is often contrasted with leadership driven solely by self-interest or the pursuit of power. While all leaders must balance the interests of various stakeholders, ethical leaders prioritize the common good over personal gain. In doing so, they set an example for others and help create a climate of trust and cooperation. Ultimately, leadership ethics is about using one's power and influence for the greater good (Northouse, 2021).
Leaders should not, in other words, use their influence and authority to pursue improper sexual relationships with subordinates. This is precisely what much of the Me Too Movement addressed: leaders exploiting their power to push subordinates into providing sexual favors (Clair et al., 2019). Such behavior is not only unethical but also creates a conflict of interest in the workplace and can harm the organization (Clair et al., 2019). Yet Musk appears to have used his power and influence to form an improper romantic relationship with a subordinate at Neuralink and Tesla—a subordinate who subsequently gave birth to his children (Shrivastava, 2022).
Musk's personal history is important context for framing the situation properly. Musk married Justine Wilson, with whom he has five children, and the couple later divorced. He subsequently began dating the Canadian singer Grimes. However, it was his relationship with technology executive Shivon Zilis that attracted the most scrutiny. The two met when Zilis was working as Musk's subordinate at one of his companies. Over time, their relationship became increasingly complex and controversial. Some have claimed that Musk manipulated and exploited Zilis to further his own interests; others have maintained that their relationship was consensual and that Musk was a supportive partner. Regardless of the facts, the relationship was never disclosed to human resources—suggesting that it was, at minimum, an undisclosed conflict of interest (Safronova, 2022). Being one of the world's wealthiest individuals, Musk should have taken greater care to conduct himself in a manner befitting his role as CEO, especially in the context of the Me Too Movement, which has seen executives lose their positions for similar conduct.
When a romantic relationship develops between a leader and a subordinate, the leader must take care not to violate the workplace code of conduct or create a conflict of interest. If the leader believes the relationship is significant, he or she should disclose it to human resources and allow the company to act in its best interest. The company might choose to transfer the subordinate or take more significant measures. The leader might be asked to resign. A leader who wishes to maintain the romantic relationship must accept such consequences, because the organization must safeguard its own interests first and cannot permit the risk of a conflict of interest between a leader and a direct report.
The potential risks are considerable. One key risk is that the leader begins to favor the subordinate's interests over the company's, becoming divided in loyalty and failing to put the organization first. Questions about Musk's conflicts of interest regarding his relationship with Zilis are therefore legitimate. Leaders have duties to stakeholders and shareholders—they must deliver results but also set a positive example. Ethical leaders lead by demonstration, modeling the behavior they expect from followers. For this reason, ethical leadership requires a strong commitment to doing what is right, even when it is difficult.
According to duty ethics, or deontology, ethical leaders have a moral obligation to act in accordance with the responsibilities their position demands, even if doing so requires sacrificing personal interests (Northouse, 2021). In addition, ethical leaders must be honest and transparent in their dealings, consistently behaving with integrity. By adhering to these principles, ethical leaders help build a more ethical workplace and society—but they cannot accomplish this if their attention and loyalty are divided.
Ethics, morals, and leadership are often spoken of in the same breath because ethics and morals are the foundation of good leadership. Without them, a leader is little more than a tyrant. This is why Elon Musk's recent difficulties are so concerning. Musk faces accusations of fraud and of using his position of power to take advantage of others. If these allegations are substantiated, they would indicate serious ethical and moral failings—a significant blow to his reputation as a leader and a cause for doubt about his capacity to lead organizations like Tesla responsibly.
Only time will tell how this story ultimately unfolds. What is clear, however, is that Musk's ethical conduct demands serious scrutiny. The most constructive path forward for him is to embrace a system of duty ethics, accept genuine accountability for his actions, and leave ethical egoism behind.
Clair, R. P., Brown, N. E., Dougherty, D. S., Delemeester, H. K., Geist-Martin, P., Gorden, W. I., & Turner, P. K. (2019). #MeToo, sexual harassment: An article, a forum, and a dream for the future. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 47(2), 111–129.
Moskowitz, D. (2022). The 10 richest people in the world. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/012715/5-richest-people-world.asp
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Safronova, V. (2022). How many children does Elon Musk have? The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/style/elon-musk-children.html
Shrivastava, R. (2022). Elon Musk's relationship with employee may have violated Tesla's ethics code. Retrieved from https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/elon-musk-relationship-with-employee-may-have-violated-tesla-ethics-code-experts-say/ar-AAZn7br
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