ASML staff threaten boycott over Elon Musk invitation

Staff at chip machinery maker ASML are threatening to boycott a company conference after it invited Elon Musk to give a keynote address at the event, newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad has reported.

ASML, one of Europe’s most valuable corporations, is holding an internal conference in Den Bosch on Thursday. News that Musk would be invited spread on Saturday and prompted a backlash amongst the company’s staff.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss is due to appear by video link, in conversation with ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet. They will discuss AI, robotics, space travel and chip manufacturing.

The company said Musk had been invited in connection with his plan to build a chip “megafactory”, dubbed Terafab, in Texas – a project for which he would need ASML’s advanced machines. US chipmaker Intel, an ASML customer, is also involved.

“Nazi sympathies”

A wave of critical messages spread on Viva Engage, ASML’s internal communication platform, with staff arguing the company should not give Musk a platform because of his politics. Some said they would boycott the event, or at least Musk’s appearance.

Staff pointed to Musk’s political activity in the US, his anti-European rhetoric, his comments about transgender people and what they described as his “Nazi sympathies,” according to the paper.

An Amsterdam court banned Musk’s Grok “undressing” app over abusive images in March this year.

ASML confirmed there was internal discussion about Musk’s appearance but said staff were free to express their views. It described the exchange on Viva Engage as a balanced one and said it was committed to a workplace where everyone felt respected.

ASML, which is based in Veldhoven near Eindhoven, recently won approval for a campus expansion expected to create 20,000 jobs in the region.