Elon Tweeting about Thailand and Reputation

[buttershrimp]

I don't remember the source, and can't find the source so can't confirm it , but have a clue of Elon's reference "pedo guy". Apparently Unsworth has a teenage Thai wife. What wasn't told was her current age, or her age when she married. Her age may such that he would be guilty of statutory rape in the U.S. I have no idea of the laws in Thailand, but they are probably much laxer there.
Someone with better internet search skills might be able to track down more information.

I believe Unworth's wife also said "Vern, Elon is a narcissist".... Unsworth was impressed by his wife's comment and replied... "wow babe, I'm so proud of you, narcissist is a big word for a 14 year old."


Allegedly.

 

[jhm]

Yep, Pedestrian goes on to cover it the next day.

Elon Musk Called One Of The Cave Rescue Divers A Pedophile, Which Is Normal
The Rescue Diver That Elon Musk Called A Pedo Is Considering Legal Action
Tesla's Investors Are Freaking Out After Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Pedo' Tweet

So it is rather interesting how a a few tweets so radically reframe the narrative.

I think Musk would have done best to ignore this loser. He would have made a fool of himself for his own abusive and uncouth tweets. But the story pivoted on Elon's crude and angry response.

 

[mltv]

Guys like Ben Sullins and Gene Munster are sincere and well-meaning believers in Elon/Tesla, and I take their open letters as sincere efforts to share their feedback in hopes they would be heard.

If I mean well, I do my advice in private.

 

[dmckinstry]

I believe Unworth's wife also said "Vern, Elon is a narcissist".... Unsworth was impressed by his wife's comment and replied... "wow babe, I'm so proud of you, narcissist is a big word for a 14 year old."


Allegedly.

I found another reference that his wife is age 42. So, what can we believe?
P.S. He has a 10 year old daughter.

 

[Doit]

S&B Prepared Wasabi in Tube

Assuming Elon's claim is unfounded, when a powerful person spreads damaging lies about you to the entire world you probably could collect damages and demand a retraction. Vern was an a-hole, but Elon labeled him a particularly repulsive type of criminal. For the rest of his life a search of his name will come up with many results linking him with the word pedophile. Again, assuming that he is not, I'm not sure he would seek a quiet settlement. I wouldn't, would you?

Makes sense.

But how about this assumption is wrong? An assumption is just an assumption. So let's wait and see how this thing plays out.

 

[buttershrimp]

I found another reference that his wife is age 42. So, what can we believe?
P.S. He has a 10 year old daughter.

No, you are mistaken.... he said "ugh, my wife looks like she is 42, ever since her 15th birthday."


Allegedly.

 

[buttershrimp]

Elon Musk just went full Chris Hansen on Vern Unsworth!

 

[mmd]

I cringe every time I see an 'open letter to elon' or posts with advice or whatever. I know they all mean well, but he's a grown man. It would be impossible for him not to know, one person giving him feedback (or a dozen) was probably enough - but all this well-meaning input is starting to feel just like more piling on, though less bullying and more sanctimonious.

May be you are missing their angle. Folks like Ben Sullins and Gene Muster feed on Tesla, and have to save their own faces in their circles.
This is just a way to distance themselves from the issue. They know pretty well Elon couldn't care less for anyone's advice

For the supporters of Elon's sub: Can you explain the procedure to save 13 people with one sub? Or was it meant only for the weakest kid to be rescued separately, after rescuing everyone else?

 

[MXWing]

The problem is, stooping to this guy’s level doesn’t hurt this guy— it hurts Elon & it hurts Tesla. I understand the emotional reaction, but you need the judgment to avoid translating that emotional reaction into a social media response.

I assume Elon is Aspie. I don’t mean that in an insulting way— I think most of the great accomplishments in science, engineering, and technology have come from Aspie people. But it puts him at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding how interactions will look to neurotypical people.

TLDR— Don’t engage with haters. It cannot help. It can only hurt.

Not directly related to the topic but I get the feeling A LOT of Tesla owners are high functioning but somewhere on the spectrum.

 

[jhm]

Not sure where this guy gets his info.
calcifer on Twitter

 

[FirebirdAlpha]

I think Musk would have done best to ignore this loser.

Loser? I suspect some here were only passively following the story, but just remember who this guy is here...

• Police find chained up bikes of the soccer team boys after the rains had started to fall
• They asked for volunteers from anyone who knew the caves
• Vernon Unsworth, a cave spelunker, sprung into action and started searching in dangerous conditions because he knew the caves so well
• When the water got too high, he spoke to the Thai government about divers, who told him that they just didn't have those kinds of resources at their disposal
• He calls the British Navy and they volunteer for the mission
• British Navy gets diplomatic immunity from the Thai government
• Vernon Unsworth works with the navy to guide them through the murky floodwaters in the cave.
• They find the boys alive nine days after Vernon Unsowrth started working.

Vernon Unsworth is a ****ing hero of this story. He wasn't compensated, worked his ass off to try to find them, and went through extraordinary lengths to see to their rescue.

And you're letting a baseless "pedo" claim and a small "hey it was a PR stunt" get in the way?




Elon could have taken the high road:

We disagree with Mr. Vernon Unsworth and plan to record our sub's journey 2.5 miles through the cave this month.

In addition to demonstrating the sub's viability, it will demonstrate the capabilities of a world-class engineering team at SpaceX should rescuers need aerospace engineering assistance in the future.
​

Seriously, read that statement.

Imagine how much more powerful of a statement that would be to the world on the capabilities of SpaceX.

That video wouldn't be about refuting a diver anymore. It'd be about demonstrating to the world what SpaceX really is: an elite team, better than military organizations throughout the world.

We already know they're an amazing team. They land ****ing rockets right-side up. But showing them operate in a cave in days time?

He undermined the whole thing with that tweet. He could have changed the narrative to "Space-X has the best engineers on the planet," but he took the low road instead.





This is why it doesn't matter if is "pedo" claim is right or not. If he had legitimate evidence, he shouldn't publicize it; he should take it to the authorities privately. And he could have disarmed his insult and turned it around into a different story.

But no, he's just an impulsive tweeter. He's a different breed of CEO of a 50B+ company, one that lacks "professional."

 

[generalenthu]

Not sure where this guy gets his info.
calcifer on Twitter

unsworths wife / gf instagram account was floating around for a while, with pics of them together. They were celebrating their 7th anniversary, which is how long he had been visiting Thailand.

 

[MXWing]

Elon Musk’s ‘pedo’ attack rattles Tesla investors: ‘This thing is unraveling’
But Musk had recently vowed to act more like the well-behaved leader of a $50 billion company investors want him to be. In an interview last week, Musk said he was reforming from his belief that Twitter was a no-holds-barred battleground where “if you attack me, it is therefore OK for me to attack back.” “I will attempt to be better at this,” Musk said. “That is my mistake. I will correct it.”

Whoops.
It' sorta like a guy that beats his wife, says he'll never do it again, then beats his wife a few days later. Except in this case, Elon is beating his credibility into the ground.

The Thai kids are safe, you have two grown men being poor sportsman after the game is over and you want to fit in an analogy of beating up one's wife repeatedly?

Psycho.

Show me on the doll where the bad bad Elon touched you.

 

[DaveT]

I agree it was well-meaning. But there are a lot of well-meaning people offering their advice & it's starting to feel like being a teenager who knows they messed up & not only is Mom & Dad saying you messed up, but it appears everyone at church is offering their well-meaning opinion, along with neighbors.

Everyone is saying pretty much the same thing. I don't think it's helpful to continue sending him the same advice. But that's just me.

Bonnie, can you shed any light on why Elon isn't tweeting an apology? Or at least even a semi-apology tweet (ie., "I could have said it better...")?

 

[MXWing]

Bonnie, can you shed any light on why Elon isn't tweeting an apology? Or at least even a semi-apology tweet (ie., "I could have said it better...")?

Vern's an ass himself who crapped on Elon and his teams.

No one wants to willingly apologize to someone they'd rather fight to the death.

I don't know Musk but I'm going to guess that's how he feels given his original scorched earth reply to begin with.

Musk was way more reserved when debating the Thai official.

 

[bhzmark]

Elon could have taken the high road:

We disagree with Mr. Vernon Unsworth and plan to record our sub's journey 2.5 miles through the cave this month.

In addition to demonstrating the sub's viability, it will demonstrate the capabilities of a world-class engineering team at SpaceX should rescuers need aerospace engineering assistance in the future.

I agree that would have been a better response.

it doesn't matter if is "pedo" claim is right or not.

Oh yes it does matter. Pedo guy started the war of words with his false and then rude statements. Elon ended the fight -- at least for now and at some cost to him self.

Possible outcomes:

1) Pedo guy firmly denies that he came to Thailand to explore anything other than caves and seeks an apology or other remedy from Musk.
2) Pedo guy prefers to keep a lower profile and we never hear from him again.
3) Thai authorities make an arrest announcement after further inquiry.

Which of those occur will make a big difference.

he's just an impulsive tweeter. He's a different breed of CEO of a 50B+ company, one that lacks "professional."

And that's why Tesla is what it is and why we get to drive these awesome machines everyday.

 

[FirebirdAlpha]

Oh yes it does matter. Pedo guy started the war of words with his false and then rude statements. Elon ended the fight -- at least for now and at some cost to him self.

Which would be better for Tesla?
- Story A) Elon Musk catches, shames pedophile on Twitter
- Story B) SpaceX demonstrates elite capabilities

Elon Musk, SpaceX, and Tesla are all better served by Story B.

Even if you believe that Elon has actual evidence, he could have still made story B happen. He could have had Tesla's lawyers anonymously or confidentially submit their evidence to the Thai authorities, wait a few weeks for everyone to forget about the guy, and then show the sub in the cave again.

 

[Canuck]

I cringe every time I see an 'open letter to elon' or posts with advice or whatever. I know they all mean well, but he's a grown man. It would be impossible for him not to know, one person giving him feedback (or a dozen) was probably enough - but all this well-meaning input is starting to feel just like more piling on, though less bullying and more sanctimonious.

And especially so since it's a "public" letter with absolutely no reason for it being so, unless it was to try to calm investors, which it did the opposite, since the news picked it up as:

Elon Musk is 'thin-skinned and short-tempered,' says tech VC

That type of letter should be sent in private, if it is sent at all, since, as you say, he knows he's done wrong. At least he doesn't try to say I said "not" one -- like someone we all know tried to tell us today with a straight face as if we are all imbeciles like him.

 

[jhm]

Loser?

Point taken. Vern played a pivotal role in this rescue, and that is definitely to his credit. My point in calling him a loser was limited to how he was antagonizing Musk, telling him to put his submarine where it hurts and all that. So the point is that when someone is being jerk like that, it is often best to walk Had Musk not sunk to that level and beyond, Vern would have simply embarrassed himself and that would be that. So that is all I ment about Vern being a loser. He definitely was at that moment, and sadly Musk took his place as the bigger loser.

 

[jhm]

BTW, I spent some time viewing Vern's Twitter account. The curious thing is that he's deleted just about everything he has tweeted. Some of what remained suggests intense tweeting relationships, social, political and stock related. Some go back to 2014 and earlier, while others are just within the last day. Everything else in the middle is gone.

So my impression is that he has recently cleared tweets out in response to recent events. He probably does not want all this media and social media attention. He may want to return to a low profile lifestyle.