Elon Musk labelled a British caver who helped orchestrate the extraction of the Thai football team from a cave system a “pedo”.
The Tesla and SpaceX founder began his tirade on Sunday after British caver Vernon Unsworth suggested that Musk’s mini-submarine — which a team of his engineers were developing from spare SpaceX parts — wouldn’t have helped in the rescue mission.
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“He had no conception of what the cave passage was like,” Unsworth stated in the interview. “He can stick his submarine where it hurts.”
“Just a PR stunt,” he added.
Unsworth also suggested that the rigid sub would not have been able to navigate the twisty and tight caverns.
He said it not me!
Cave rescuer slams Elon Musk’s submarine idea, says “He can stick his submarine where it hurts,wouldn’t have made the first 50m, Just a PR stunt” -CNN $TSLA
(Repost for twitter video h/t @TezzlaCFO) pic.twitter.com/GHWiILrPq5— Brodie Ferguson (@brodieferguson) July 13, 2018
Musk seemingly took offence to this particular view though.
Tweeting in a thread started by New York Times contributor Zeynep Tufekci, Musk defiantly pledged to prove that the sub would be able to navigate the passage.
“You know what, don’t bother showing the video. We will make one of the mini-sub/pod going all the way to Cave 5 no problemo. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it,” he wrote.
And yes, he called Unsworth “pedo guy” too.
The tweet has since been deleted, not before more accusations were flung at Unsworth.
ah good it appears elon musk is now doubling down on his claim that one of the cave rescuers is a pedophile pic.twitter.com/3QSGhjQPON
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) July 15, 2018
The response from Twitter has been overwhelmingly against Musk.
“Elon Musk THINKS he’s Tony Stark but really he’s that asshole played by Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2,” wrote one user.
Elon Musk THINKS he’s Tony Stark but really he’s that asshole played by Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2
— hannah searson (@hsearson93) July 16, 2018
There’s no indicator better for how fucked up Twitter is that I get banned for advocating defending trans ppl with violence to less than 500 followers, while Elon Musk can call someone a pedophile to 22 million people with no repercussions
— Rithane, Booper of Snoots (@Selenethoa) July 16, 2018
Elon Musk could make a real tangible difference in people’s’ lives for once and pay off everyone’s student loans. But no. Instead he made an underwater baby coffin.
— Witch Hazel, PhD
(@HazelMonforton) July 16, 2018
Unsworth is reportedly considering taking legal action against Musk. The South African-born entrepreneur has also yet to issue an apology to Unsworth.
Feature image: Steve Jurvetson via Flickr (CC 2.0 BY)
