Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), stirred up a heated conversation on Christmas when he supported the idea of bringing in more “super talented engineers” from abroad. His comments left some of his followers less than thrilled.
The debate began when Musk responded to a post about the lack of American-born engineering talent in Silicon Valley. He compared it to building a championship sports team, saying, “If you want your team to win, you need to recruit top talent wherever they are. That helps the whole team succeed.”
Some followers weren’t convinced. One asked, “With over 330 million people in America, why can’t you find enough talent here? Why take opportunities away from Americans?”
Musk fired back, explaining that hiring Americans is his first choice but said there’s a “dire shortage” of highly talented and motivated engineers in the U.S. He also pointed out how painful and slow the visa process can be, making foreign hires a last resort.
Another follower suggested Musk open a school to train American engineers, to which he replied, “If you need a school, you’ve already lost.”
Others accused Musk of avoiding higher wages. “There’s plenty of U.S. talent; maybe you’re just not paying enough,” wrote one user. Another pointed out the irony of tech layoffs, saying, “I’ve been an engineer for 10 years, and I can’t even get an interview.”
Musk’s take on the issue is clearly sparking strong opinions, and the debate over hiring talent rages on. What’s your take?
