Elon Musk famously identified a former Tesla employee suspected of leaking confidential information through a clever strategy. Known for his candid interactions on Twitter, Musk often shares insights into his businesses but keeps certain details private.
In 2008, five years after Tesla’s founding, Musk grew frustrated with someone allegedly leaking sensitive information to the media.
In 2022, Musk responded to a Twitter user who asked how he caught the leaker, describing the “interesting story” behind the tactic his team used.
They sent seemingly identical emails to all employees, but each version was subtly altered with unique spacing between sentences, creating a “binary signature” to identify the source.
This method, similar to the “canary trap” technique (where slightly modified versions of a document are distributed to pinpoint leaks), successfully exposed the employee responsible.
Musk described the outcome, saying the leaker was “invited to further their career elsewhere.” Despite catching the person, Musk didn’t pursue legal action, explaining he was “too busy trying to survive at the time.”
Musk’s resourceful approach not only resolved the issue but also serves as a warning to potential leakers within his companies today.