Rocket-maker Firefly Aerospace is investigating allegations of an inappropriate relationship between CEO Bill Weber and a female employee after a departing executive reported the situation to the board.
Lloyd McMullen, a VP of IT at the firm, resigned this month because he lost confidence in leadership at the company after reporting the issue. Contacted by Payload, McMullen declined to comment.
“Firefly was made aware of the allegations from a former employee at the same time they were reported to Payload,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We are looking into them. Our initial findings do not support any facts behind this speculation.”
Payload viewed correspondence and spoke with four former and current employees, who were granted anonymity to speak about the allegations against Weber and morale at the startup without fear of retribution.
More details: The investigation is being led by David Wheeler, Firefly’s top attorney, and not outside counsel, according to Payload’s sources. Neither Weber nor the employee with whom he had the alleged relationship—who Payload is not naming at this time—responded to requests for comment.
The company’s culture has become chaotic since Weber took the top job at Firefly in 2022 after its acquisition by AE Industrial Partners, according to current and former employees who shared their concerns about Weber’s judgment. AEI declined to comment on the story.
Exodus: Multiple executives have left the firm voluntarily in the last six months due to problems with the company’s leadership, sources told Payload, including engineering, test, manufacturing, avionics, and accounting officials.
Firefly launched its first Alpha rocket of 2024 on July 4, with expectations to fly three more times this year, though company sources cast doubt on that prediction. The company also plans to launch its Blue Ghost lunar lander sometime in the fourth quarter.
