In a recent exchange on X, tech magnate Elon Musk challenged former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s defense of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices, which Musk views as fundamentally flawed and discriminatory.
Cuban, a proponent of DEI ideology, engaged with Musk after the Tesla CEO criticized the discriminatory nature of DEI, calling it the literal definition of racism. Cuban responded by defending DEI points, claiming they help find the best talent.
“Discrimination on the basis of race, which DEI does, is literally the definition of racism,” Musk tweeted.
Critics, like Ashley St. Clair, argue that DEI isn’t a core competency in most companies and often becomes an expensive checkbox exercise. St. Clair contends that DEI, instead of promoting equality, can erode meritocracy and lead to hiring based on race or gender.
“Yes, and any time you make something like DEI a requirement, it will turn into checklists and eventually a lucrative industry,” she tweeted. “You give a pretty literal break down of “DEI” from a definition standpoint but seem to gloss over what DEI (and sister programs such as as affirmative action) has become in actuality, which is ironically rather discriminatory. “Equity” and “equality” are also wrongly conflated here. The reality of DEI is destroying meritocracy to hire based on race and gender for extra social credit points (and gov bucks). This is wrong and will only breed further division in this country.”
Musk, seizing on Cuban’s defense, questioned when the Mavericks would feature a short white or Asian woman on their roster, highlighting the impracticality and potential discrimination inherent in DEI practices.
“Cool, so when should we expect to see a short white/Asian women on the Mavs?” Musk tweeted.
Ironically, Cuban’s own Mavericks team faced accusations of being one of the “whitest” teams in the NBA, with a history of having multiple white players on the roster, deviating from the league’s demographics.
Entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David suggested that Cuban’s defense of DEI might be influenced by a community mindset that supports ideas regardless of their merit, leading to the defense of failed concepts like DEI and ESG.
Bet-David underscored the importance of acknowledging the failure of these ideas rather than blindly defending them based on community or ideological allegiance.
“It’s very interesting with Mark because Mark plays politics slipper slope, like trying to be independent but you know he’s a full-blown liberal,” Bet-David said. “But at the same economically he knows this sh*t doesn’t work.
“Katt Williams said something very interesting on his podcast with Shannon Sharpe. He says ‘You know, a lot of these guys in the community, they will tell you we back each other up. When you’re in Hollywood, you do this and you do that. And you do this when you’re in that community everybody in that community is defending each other whether the idea is sh*tty or not. Just defend it, just back it up. They’re not going to be not defending one.
“It just seems like that’s what he’s doing whether it is his intention or not, whether it’s what he believes or not. It’s just the position he keeps taking ‘Well let me tell you why DEI, let me tell you why ESG; We have to stop doing this and we have to stop doing that.’ No, no. DEI failed, ESG failed. These ideas failed. Period.”
