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Elon Musk ‘apologises’ for calling Thai cave rescuer a ‘pedo’ on Twitter
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk apologised to a Briton who helped rescue a group of boys and their soccer coach from a cave in Thailand, after calling him a “pedo” on Twitter. Vernon Unsworth had said he was considering legal action and was “astonished and very angry” about the slur. Musk deleted the offending tweet, which was made after Unsworth questioned the usefulness of a mini-submarine Musk offered to help the rescue, since it would not have been able to navigate the narrow cave network.
What next? Musk issued an apology of sorts to Unsworth after widespread outrage at his outburst and Tesla shares shed 3 per cent. “My words were spoken in anger after Mr Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub, which had been built as an act of kindness & according to specifications from the dive team leader. Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologise to Mr Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone.” Asked whether he was still considering legal action against Musk, Unsworth told reporters: “Yes, it’s not finished.”