Elon Musk Faces Legal Action Over Calling Thai Cave Rescuer 'Pedo' In Tweet

After posting a series of uncouth tweets over the weekend, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk may find himself in legal trouble soon. The billionaire tech magnate accused one of the men responsible for rescuing a dozen children and their soccer coach from a Thai cave system of pedophilia, seemingly out of nowhere. As a result, he could face legal action from the rescuer, according to CNN.

British caver Vern Unsworth used his knowledge of the cave system in which the 13 individuals were trapped to help facilitate their daring rescue last week. He also criticized Musk’s plan to rescue the kids and their coach with a miniature submarine, telling CNN Musk can “stick his submarine where it hurts.”

Musk responded to Unsworth’s criticism by calling the caver a "pedo" in a now-deleted tweet posted on Sunday. Plenty of people took screenshots for posterity, which can be seen below.

He later doubled down on the accusation, telling critics he would “bet [them] a signed dollar” it was true. Both the original accusation and the tweet doubling down on it have been removed from Musk’s Twitter page. Unsworth, in response, said the affair was “not finished” and he could take legal action against the famed entrepreneur.

There appears to be no factual basis for Musk's accusations against Unsworth so Unsworth may have grounds to sue for defamation.

Musk has long distinguished himself from other billionaires by being forthcoming and outspoken on social media, often responding directly to critics’ tweets about him. Those who question Musk on Twitter, particularly women, can be hounded by his legions of fans afterwards in some cases. He has a large platform on the social network, with more than 22 million followers.

Musk has been criticized for his Twitter conduct in recent months. One Tesla shareholder suggested Musk curtail his Twitter activity to focus on his work last week. Earlier this year, the United Auto Workers union claimed Musk violated labor laws with a tweet that could be interpreted as a threat towards Tesla employees who want to unionize.