TuSimple co-founder Xiaodi Hou has refuted allegations from senior leadership that he was trying to poach staff for his new company. In a LinkedIn post, Hou said that he resigned from TuSimple’s board last week due to disagreements about CEO Cheng Lu’s compensation package, as well as the company’s shift from Level 4 autonomy to Level 2 autonomy.
“I believe that the so-called investigation was retaliation instigated by TuSimple’s Chairman and CEO in response to my disagreements over several decisions,” wrote Hou in a LinkedIn post.
Yesterday, TechCrunch reported that Hou resigned amid an internal investigation that sought to verify whether he had approached TuSimple employees about joining his new venture. TuSimple fired Hou last year from his CEO, president and CTO posts after the board learned that TuSimple had transferred confidential information to Hydron. The hydrogen-powered trucking startup is led by TuSimple co-founder and majority stakeholder Mo Chen and is backed by Chinese investors.
Hou told TechCrunch that he has not begun another venture, implying that it is illogical to accuse him of poaching staff.
“I am regularly approached by current TuSimple employees who are disappointed with the current leadership and direction of the company,” wrote Hou in a statement. “They come to me because we were a family, and we still are. Over the past few months, many employees reached out to me for my advice about their careers and the changes at the company. Many asked about …
