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A French aerospace company is trying to convince disgruntled American SpaceX employees to leave the US for Europe after billionaire Elon Musk announced he would relocate his rocket company from California to Texas.
The offer comes days after Musk announced his intention to relocate SpaceX out of California after the state passed a law protecting LGBTQ+ youth, which Musk cited as "the final straw" in a post on X.
Stanislas Maximin, CEO of Latitude, jumped at the opportunity to poach any unhappy SpaceX employees suddenly staring down an interstate move.
In a LinkedIn post, Maximin addressed those employees directly, encouraging any SpaceX workers who may be "misaligned" with Musk's values and who are looking to join an "inclusive and highly ambitious rocket company" to look into Latitude.
"We do small rockets of course, but also high-performance engines, full reusability, high launch rate," Maximin wrote. "You'll clearly be able to show the world your skills."
The CEO offered applicants a desirable deal, saying the company would take care of "everything," including moving logistics, visas, healthcare, housing, employment for partners, and schooling for kids.
"A few have already taken the plunge, join them at Latitude!" Maximin wrote. "I'm personally offering 12 Champagne bottles for everyone that makes the move!"
His pitch may already be working, according to CNBC Make It, which reported this week that Latitude has received a surge of applications from American engineers since Musk's announcement and Maximin's offer.
A Latitude spokesperson told the outlet that it received one month's worth of applications within the last week, with 89% of applications coming from US-based candidates. Among the US companies most represented were SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and Tesla, the spokesperson said.
Maximin told CNBC that his LinkedIn post garnered some 200 messages and helped him increase his connections on the site by a third.
He added that he didn't intend his invitation to be a slam against SpaceX, which he called "one of the best engineering companies in the world." Instead, Maximin wanted to offer Americans a new opportunity in Europe, he told the outlet.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Latitude is a much smaller company than SpaceX, with about 140 employees, compared to Musk's roughly 13,000.
But the surge in the company's applications is in line with increased interest among Americans toward moving abroad.
"We have done it multiple times over," Maximin told CNBC of hiring foreigners.
Musk raised eyebrows earlier this month with his relocation announcement in response to a recently passed California law that bans school districts from requiring educators to tell parents about students' sexual orientation or gender identity.
The billionaire didn't say when he intends to move SpaceX from California to Texas, though it's possible some of the plans were already in motion prior to his social media announcement. Musk has made the Lonestar State his home base in recent years, moving Tesla headquarters to Texas from California during the pandemic.
