Elon Musk Brands Himself An ‘Idiot’ In Thai Cave Rescue Defamation Lawsuit

[webfact]

Elon Musk Brands Himself An ‘Idiot’ In Thai Cave Rescue Defamation Lawsuit

David Dawkins

Forbes Staff

 

Billionaire Elon Musk has described himself as “an ... idiot” //File photo: Reuters

 

 

Billionaire Elon Musk has described himself as “an ... idiot” for his handling of the PR disaster that followed from his tweet calling a British cave diver “pedo guy” in 2018.

 

Musk’s comments were disclosed in court papers from Vernon Unsworth’s defamation lawsuit against the Tesla founder. In the documents, Musk is described as “a thin-skinned billionaire who is obsessed with his public image and who has a history of vindictively and intentionally ignoring truth to maintain that PR-created image.”

 

Musk, according to the documents, had taken umbrage at Unsworth, who was involved in the 2018 rescue of a group of soccer players from a flooded cave in Thailand, and dismissed Musk’s submarine rescue plan as a PR stunt in a CNN interview that went viral.

 

Full story: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2019/10/09/elon-musk-brands-himself-an-idiot-in-thai-cave-rescue-defamation-lawsuit/

 

-- Forbes 2019-10-11

[Sheryl]

No argument there..



Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[londonthai]

good on him, just after 2 years of this senseless feud.

I don't think any thai billionaire would have admit to any mistake

[canuckamuck]

He's a brilliant man but we all make mistakes. His words were poorly chosen and it is going to cost him something. Fortunately he's loaded so this is all going to go away soon. Probably the best thing to ever happen to Vern. Assuming he has a nice payday coming up.

[FritsSikkink]

10 minutes ago, londonthai said:

good on him, just after 2 years of this senseless feud.

I don't think any thai billionaire would have admit to any mistake

He only admits it to get a lesser sentence.

[lespaulTV]

Win win. If reward a decent sum and lesson learned.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Myran]

Never understood the cult following of this guy or why people are branding him a genius. All of "his" ideas were invented years ago, including electric cars, rockets that can land and trains running in vacuum tubes (something invented decades ago, and which he hilariously enough said he wanted to file a patent for in an interview).

 

And no, he didn't successfully popularize electric cars, or his company wouldn't be hemorrhaging money every year at the expense of tax-payers' money.

[PJPom]

Hooray, are we finally going to see an end to what should have been a schoolyard spat. 
The internet is a fantastic invention giving the ability to everyone to share their views but it refutes the old saying of sticks and stones, it can and does cause hurt. 
Vernon came out with an unwarranted comment and Musk bit hard and the spat was on and it grew and grew due to people having nothing better to do than repeat it.
Think before you hit send,  it could save you a lot of grief,  are you listening?.

[JamJar]

1 minute ago, PJPom said:

Hooray, are we finally going to see an end to what should have been a schoolyard spat. 
The internet is a fantastic invention giving the ability to everyone to share their views but it refutes the old saying of sticks and stones, it can and does cause hurt. 
Vernon came out with an unwarranted comment and Musk bit hard and the spat was on and it grew and grew due to people having nothing better to do than repeat it.
Think before you hit send,  it could save you a lot of grief,  are you listening?.

 

 

I was just thinking the same about your post...

 

What makes you think that Vernon's comment was unwarranted? Do you have some insider knowledge?

Musk himself repeated his scurrilous claim and did his utmost to try to prove it, despite having no evidence.

 

Sorry, but your post has no substance to it at all.

 

I actually posted about his quote of calling himself an idiot on Tuesday; https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-is-a-thin-skinned-bully-says-thai-cave-rescuer-11830547

 

Is his comment about himself, unwarranted?

 

Don't try to equate their actions.

 

Would you call me a child abuser because I disagree with your post?

 

 

[ICELANDMAN]

Yes confirm is a idiots but more idiots is fellows shareholders .

[tso310]

Time to board your Mars rocket Elon.

[monkfish]

Quote

Unsworth’s lawyers claim in the documents that Musk hired a convicted felon, who claimed to be private investigator, to look into the diver’s personal life and that he tried to leak negative stories about the British diver to the British and Australian media.

I wish they would stop claiming he was as a Diver!
He didn't dive! Will this give him some sort of advantage?

[JamJar]

3 minutes ago, monkfish said:

I wish they would stop claiming he was as a Diver!
He didn't dive! Will this give him some sort of advantage?

 

What is it that irks you about him being branded as a diver? 

Which descriptor would you like?

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Elon Musk has described himself as “an ... idiot”

That is the words of a man telling the truth.

[GroveHillWanderer]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

He's a brilliant man but we all make mistakes. His words were poorly chosen and it is going to cost him something. Fortunately he's loaded so this is all going to go away soon. Probably the best thing to ever happen to Vern. Assuming he has a nice payday coming up.

I guess it depends what you mean by "a nice payday" but he's only seeking $75,000 - which I've read is the minimum required in order for a defamation lawsuit to proceed. 

 

It's better than getting nothing of course, but it's hardly going to put him on easy street for the rest of his life if he gets it.

 

I also find it interesting - and indicative of Musk's behaviour since this all began, that according to these latest documents filed with the court, even though Howard-Higgins, the investigator Musk hired, admitted to Musk that none of his information had been verified:

 

Quote

 

Musk ordered him to “immediately move forward” with leaking information to the UK press “to plant an unflattering story” about Mr Unsworth and young girls “without any disclosure that it was coming from Elon Musk”.

 

Jared Birchall, the aide tasked by Musk with digging up dirt on Mr Unsworth, is said to have instructed Howard-Higgins to undertake the smear campaign “with Musk’s input and express authorisation”.

 

Musk paid convicted fraudster to spread false paedophile claims about Unsworth

[Momofarang]

19 minutes ago, monkfish said:

I wish they would stop claiming he was as a Diver!
He didn't dive! Will this give him some sort of advantage?

Ok he wasn't a diver, he was only one of the few experts on the planet able to effectively assess the situation and propose workable options for a rescue plan. And then some celebrity popped out the blue and requested him to use some giant suppository...

[monkfish]

26 minutes ago, JamJar said:

 

What is it that irks you about him being branded as a diver? 

Which descriptor would you like?

Because he wasn't a diver that's the fact divers risked their lives he didn't big diff.
Call him local Caving Expert, Adviser, Helper if you like but not diver.

[canuckamuck]

12 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I guess it depends what you mean by "a nice payday" but he's only seeking $75,000 - which I've read is the minimum required in order for a defamation lawsuit to proceed. 

 

It's better than getting nothing of course, but it's hardly going to put him on easy street for the rest of his life if he gets it.

 

I also find it interesting - and indicative of Musk's behaviour since this all began, that according to these latest documents filed with the court, even though Howard-Higgins, the investigator Musk hired, admitted to Musk that none of his information had been verified:

 

Musk paid convicted fraudster to spread false paedophile claims about Unsworth

Well Vern took the feel good story of the year and used his spotlight moment to <deleted> all over Elon's spirited and expensive efforts to help out. No one else felt like being a dick that day. But if you are going to play that game with a billionaire, you are going to see some next level response. Vern was foolish, but he got a payday anyhow. Could have been real expensive for him

[JamJar]

30 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Well Vern took the feel good story of the year and used his spotlight moment to <deleted> all over Elon's spirited and expensive efforts to help out. No one else felt like being a dick that day. But if you are going to play that game with a billionaire, you are going to see some next level response. Vern was foolish, but he got a payday anyhow. Could have been real expensive for him

 

What a load....

 

"Spirited and expensive" means nothing if you are getting in the way and risking people's lives in the process.

Sometimes you need some straight talking in order to get things done. Vernon gave his opinion. That's fine. Just like here, we can disagree. I've never seen anyone here, no matter how angry at another's comment, call another a paedophile.

Worse still, to suggest that there was actual evidence and further to that, to dare Vernon to sue him.

Brings to mind that famous saying..."Be careful for what you wish".

 

Sycophants who don't know their posterior from the elbows are now trying to twist it into Vernon doing it for the money.

Are they really that obtuse? Musk dared him! If Vernon did not then sue, many would have continued to suggest that there was no smoke without fire.

 

So anyone who tries to defend Musk in any way, has clearly lost their moral compass.

 

 

That Musk is a moron, no doubt. Though to be fair, it's more likely a mild impairment that he suffers, that leans toward impulsiveness.

I've stated that before, which is why I think he partakes of herbal substances that help to curb his anxiety.

 

 

[JamJar]

4 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I guess it depends what you mean by "a nice payday" but he's only seeking $75,000 - which I've read is the minimum required in order for a defamation lawsuit to proceed. 

 

It's better than getting nothing of course, but it's hardly going to put him on easy street for the rest of his life if he gets it.

 

I also find it interesting - and indicative of Musk's behaviour since this all began, that according to these latest documents filed with the court, even though Howard-Higgins, the investigator Musk hired, admitted to Musk that none of his information had been verified:

 

Musk paid convicted fraudster to spread false paedophile claims about Unsworth

 

To be fair, he is probably afraid of the punitive damage and legal costs. But it serves him right. He just went too far.

 

I note that whilst PJPom indicated with an emoticon that they didn't like my post, they totally avoided answering my question.

The question was "Would you call me a child abuser because I disagree with your post?"

 

Clearly the answer was no, since they offered no reply at all(other than an emoticon).

 

Musk had exactly the same options as you do.

He chose the lowest path. Slung the vilest mud and took a gamble that there might be skeletons in Vernon's cupboard. Really nasty.

He took a gamble and lost. It is only right that he should pay.

It's not Vernon who took the gamble. Vernon only suggested that Musk's idea was sh*t shot. Some might think an entirely valid opinion.

No different from the minor differences of opinion that we have here every day. 

Stop defending his behaviour. It is quite reprehensible.

[pacovl46]

He literally begged Unsworth to sue him! So, now it’s time to cough up! 

[mickey rat]

16 hours ago, Myran said:

Never understood the cult following of this guy or why people are branding him a genius. All of "his" ideas were invented years ago, including electric cars, rockets that can land and trains running in vacuum tubes (something invented decades ago, and which he hilariously enough said he wanted to file a patent for in an interview).

 

And no, he didn't successfully popularize electric cars, or his company wouldn't be hemorrhaging money every year at the expense of tax-payers' money.

Jealousy makes you bitter. 

[helloagain]

Sue the ar** off him he can afford it. That is the worst thing to call somebody when not true. 

[justin case]

who threw the first stone ?

[TKDfella]

In my opinion he wants to put this 'pedo' thing behind him...or perhaps been advised to do so...because he has lot of ideas he wants to see come to fruition. The SpaceX program being one of them and not all of NASA scientists are confident of his words. This court case will cause some 'drag' on his efforts elsewhere. let's hope we can all see a quick end to this.

[Chongalulu]

17 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

He only admits it to get a lesser sentence.

It’s not a criminal trial and there’s no 'sentence '. 

[GaryAdriaenssens]

Well, let's face the reality, he's not the only one on this planet. Plenty of that kind to be found in the LOS.. Just a thought. Don't be so hard on yourself, Mister Musk.

[Grumpy John]

I've always thought of Musk as something of a "carpet bagger" or "Slick Willie".  He hasn't really invented anything of substance but has "the gift of the gab" and has managed to extract large amounts of taxpayer $$'s from government.  It doesn't effect me so I have never made an issue of it.   On the other hand if he had of called me a pedophile I would be snapping at his heals like a rabid dog!  He needs to pay, and pay big.

[30la]

Self-recognition is the best way to improve!
I do not think that it works for you!

[Magenta408]

A useless idiot. Board that barrel to Mars Elon Mustard and rid the world of your footprint.