What began as a dream opportunity for a small, Black-owned bakery in San Jose nearly became a financial disaster until a surprise act of goodwill from Elon Musk turned the tide. Giving Pies, a boutique bakery run by Voahangy Rasetarinera, was thrust into the spotlight after a high-volume pie order from Tesla was abruptly canceled, threatening the business’s survival.
In early 2024, Giving Pies received a golden opportunity: a large corporate order from Tesla totaling 2,000 mini pies, later doubled to 4,000, worth around $6,000. Rasetarinera, already experienced in handling large tech orders, eagerly rose to the occasion. To meet the demand, she secured more ingredients, hired extra hands, and cleared her calendar, turning down other catering requests.
But things began to crumble behind the scenes. While the bakery baked thousands of pies in good faith, Tesla hadn’t paid a cent, forcing Rasetarinera to repeatedly follow up on invoices. Despite reassurances from Tesla reps that “money was not an issue,” no payments were made.
Then came the worst blow. Just days before the final delivery, a short email from a Tesla representative casually ended the deal: “Hey, I’m really sorry, I don’t think we are going to need this order anymore.”
The cancellation not only left Rasetarinera stunned but also stranded with unsold inventory, exhausted staff, and no financial compensation. On social media, she described being “reeling” as the realization hit her: a deal that once promised growth now posed an existential threat to her bakery.
Public support began to swell as the story spread online, prompting widespread criticism of Tesla for how it handled the situation. Many empathized with Rasetarinera’s plight and questioned the ethics of a multibillion-dollar corporation casually abandoning a small vendor without warning.
Amid the public outcry, Elon Musk stepped in personally. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he addressed the situation directly: “Just hearing about this. Will make things good with the bakery.”
True to his word, Musk arranged for Tesla to purchase all 4,000 pies and donate them to local charities. The gesture not only saved the bakery from financial collapse but also restored some faith in corporate accountability.
For Rasetarinera, it was a much-needed reprieve, proof that visibility and community support can tip the scales even in power-imbalanced situations.
