icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
17 Oct, 2019 10:09

Billionaire Elon Musk says he’s strapped for cash after being sued for defamation over ‘pedo guy’ comments

Billionaire Elon Musk says he’s strapped for cash after being sued for defamation over ‘pedo guy’ comments

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is being sued for libel and slander for calling a British rescue diver a “pedo,” has testified that he is short of funds. That’s according to the accuser’s lawyer in a legal filing seen by Bloomberg.

The filing from the attorney of 63-year-old plaintiff Vernon Unsworth makes reference to “Musk’s sworn testimony that he is financially illiquid.”

Unsworth played a key role in the rescue of a Thai youth football team from a cave last year. The trouble began when he criticized the miniature submarine Musk sent to Thailand, calling it a publicity stunt and telling the billionaire to “stick his submarine where it hurts.”

Musk responded on Twitter by calling Unsworth a “pedo guy,” but later deleted the tweet and issued an apology after the Brit threatened a lawsuit. Musk later doubled down on the accusation by calling Unsworth a “child rapist” in emails to a BuzzFeed reporter.

Also on rt.com Elon Musk's five famous fails & freakouts in the year past

Musk’s lawyers have argued that the statements were simply insults and not accusations of pedophilia.

According to estimates, Musk is worth $23.6 billion, though a substantial majority of his wealth comes in the form of stock in SpaceX (worth $14.6 billion) and Tesla (worth $8.8 billion).

READ MORE: Elon Musk triples down on ‘pedo’ claims, calls Thai cave rescuer ‘child rapist’

An attorney for Musk, Alex Spiro, told Business Insider the businessman clarified that much of his net worth is committed to his companies. “Of course Mr. Unsworth’s lawyers are focused on this, since the entire case is nothing but a money-grab,” he said.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0