A former SpaceX and Starlink manager has opened up about how Elon Musk’s hands-on leadership style shaped his experience at the company. Vincent Peters, now CEO of Inheritance AI, shared his insights on “The Bottom Line” (a show on FOX News) earlier this week, highlighting Musk’s deep involvement in every aspect of his companies, from top to bottom, while always prioritising problem-solving.
“Working at SpaceX was one of the most eye-opening experiences in my career,” Peters said, reflecting on his time with the company. He described Musk as an industrialist for the modern era, someone who trusts his employees fully until they prove otherwise. “He creates an environment where he trusts people until he loses that trust based on their performance,” Peters added.
Peters, who has an impressive academic background from West Point, Oxford, and MIT, joined SpaceX in 2018 as an information compliance and assurance manager. He worked at the company for over three years, where he observed Musk’s leadership style firsthand. According to Peters, Musk is not a micromanager but believes in empowering his team to get the job done while addressing issues at their core.
This week, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) faced some controversy after sending an email memo to all federal employees, demanding they report their weekly accomplishments or risk termination. The memo, titled “What did you do last week?”, was part of DOGE’s broader initiative to audit federal agencies for wasteful spending, corruption, and inefficiencies. Musk has been tasked with helping eliminate waste and improve government operations, following President Donald Trump’s push for federal employees to return to the office after extended remote work due to the pandemic.
Peters, reflecting on Musk’s approach to business, emphasised that such methods could transform government operations. “If you’re going to run it like a business, you bring in some of the best minds to solve the country’s problems,” he said. Drawing parallels with SpaceX, Peters noted that the same innovative approach Musk applied to his private ventures is what could help address issues like wasteful government spending and inefficiency.