Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is testifying in a trial in Los Angeles on Tuesday, after he allegedly defamed a British spelunker, Vernon Unsworth, who is best known for his efforts to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from flooded caves in Thailand in the summer of 2018.
Musk started testimony with his arms tightly crossed in front of him sporting a dark suit, and occasionally sipping water. Musk only entered the courtroom when called as a witness around 1: 15 pm, and may leave as soon as he’s done. (There was no seat for him at the table for the defense.)
The conflict began when Unsworth criticized Musk for his efforts to involve himself in the Thai cave rescue in July 2018.
Musk and his employees developed a mini submarine, which they billed as an escape pod that could transport the kids out of the caves. On July 8, 2018, Musk wrote in a tweet, “Mini-sub arriving in about 17 hours. Hopefully useful. If not, perhaps it will be in a future situation. “
The sub was never used in the rescue effort. After the rescue, Unsworth was asked about the mini-sub and Musk on an interview with CNN. He said that Musk could “stick his submarine where it hurts,” and viewed Musk’s efforts as “just aPR stunt.”
Lashing back after that, Musk called the caver a “pedo guy” in public tweets, and “child rapist” in an email to a reporter at Buzzfeed. Unsworth filed the lawsuit in the U.S. in September 2018.
Musk and his defense teamhave claimedthat “pedo guy” tweet, which Musk later deleted, was meant an insult tantamount to “creepy old man,” and did not init defamation.
Musk’s testimony
According to CNBC’s Jane Wells and Paul McNamara, who were in attendance at the trial, Musk’s attorney Alex Spiro said in his opening statements that the case was “about insults not statements of fact.” He said Musk’s tweets were “not allegations of a crime,” but only “joking taunting tweets in a fight between men.”
Unsworth’s attorney L. Lin Wood asked Musk how influential he is, in his own estimation.
Musk replied, “I’m not sure to the degree I’m influential,” adding “I have asked people to take climate change seriously … and I haven’t been successful. “
When Wood asked whether Musk thought he should choose his words carefully,” the Tesla CEO replied, “There are a lot of things I say, and not all of them have the same quality of thought … not everything can be thoughtful. “
Wood proceeded to review the timeline of Musk’s efforts in the Thai cave rescue.
Musk explained why he involved himself at all. He said at first he thought his help would not be needed, but after a Thai Navy SEAL, Saman Kunan, died in the rescue effort (with a monsoon bearing down) he changed his mind. “If immediate action wasn’t taken, the boys would die,” Musk sai d in court. “That would be on my conscience forever. I’ve got to do something. We’ve got to try.”
Before an afternoon break, Musk argued that Unsworth’s comments about his involvement in the rescue effort amounted to an “unprovoked attack.” Musk also described those comments as “wrong and insulting,” and said that’s why he insulted Unsworth back.Follow @CNBCtech on Twitter for the latest tech industry news.
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