Tesla boss Elon Musk wins defamation trial over 'pedo guy' tweet

[Fairynuff]

2 hours ago, Artisi said:

Just for the records and to straighten out your misunderstanding, Unsworth didn't risk his life, he is a caver - not a diver and other than passing on his knowledge of the cave, he didn't venture into the flooded system. 

In whatever capacity he was there, it was to help. That’s good enough for me. Musk is and always has been a big mouthed attention seeker.

[chivo]

Don’t forget, not-pedo-guy said a lot of <deleted> first about a musk who was  trying to create a solution to save the kids. 

[Kinnock]

7 minutes ago, chivo said:

Don’t forget, not-pedo-guy said a lot of <deleted> first about a musk who was  trying to create a solution to save the kids. 

He was trying to grab some cheap global coverage to highlight his scientific prowess.  His solution was never going to be practical in the tight cave network, and it was way too late as the international team's plans were well advanced and ultimately successful.

 

Arranging TV cameras to film his engineers dragging a converted torpedo around a swimming pool was a PR stunt, and that was the root cause of the frustration amongst the real rescue team.

 

[Inn Between]

20 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

He was trying to grab some cheap global coverage to highlight his scientific prowess.  His solution was never going to be practical in the tight cave network, and it was way too late as the international team's plans were well advanced and ultimately successful.

 

Arranging TV cameras to film his engineers dragging a converted torpedo around a swimming pool was a PR stunt, and that was the root cause of the frustration amongst the real rescue team.

 

I keep hearing this "PR stunt" accusation, but I don't get it. I don't see how  a person as high-profile as Elon Musk and who has accomplished SO much needs this type of PR. Sure, I believe the guy has a huge ego, and he's naturally self-promoting, but I also believe he's very intelligent and was sincere in wanting to help.

 

Let's face it, people who successfully compete with the likes of NASA don't need or seek cheap PR stunts. Their minds work and think on a much bigger and more substantial level.    

[OffshoreMig]

Did they award costs?

[FMarch]

no one would remember the remark if not for the law suit... he was seeking $190 million in damages? gimme a break. 

[Cryingdick]

 

16 hours ago, sirineou said:

He had a golden opportunity and he squandered when he went after the quick payoff.

After Musk apologised he should have held a press conference , said he was also sorry so telling Musk to stick it. Emotions were running high , bla bla bla,  I would like to meet Musk and talk man to man, They mee have lunch, a couple of bears and ar buddies, , come out proclaim water under the bridge. 

Does not hurt to have a friend like musk IMO. 

 

 

Yeah had Vern been the slightest bit gracious he could have made a powerful ally for Thailand. Show Musk the poverty in the villages, maybe Musk would have gotten involved. Vern has really done a tragic disservice for all of Thailand. 

 

 

[Cryingdick]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is ample demonstration of how fabulously corrupt the American judicial system is. He with the greatest amount of money to throw at a legal team can nearly always taint the decision of a jury. OJ Simpson proved that. And he was a black man! A rich, white man getting convicted in the US? Does not happen often. 

 

This decision is a travesty of justice with an outcome that was likely from the beginning. And it emboldens rich,  reactionary numskulls like Musk and others. It seems like words have no meaning anymore in America. That is how far the culture has fallen.  No matter how mean spirited or harmful. Not a good outcome for society. 

 

The US is Western Rome ten years before Odoacer marched in and sacked the city, in my opinion. 

 

Last time I looked both of them are white. You have to drag race into every thread you touch. 

[Cryingdick]

15 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

A 190 million dollar win would have been universe changing for old Vern. One can see the motivation, I am sure he had folks convincing him he could win. But it's not easy to steal the big dogs bone, and if common sense was in play Vern would have left it alone.

It is amazing what he found to do with his hero status. Just had to hold his tongue for a few minutes.

As for Musk, well he defended himself and his team, but he, like Vern, should have chosen his words better. Elon on the other hand, could afford to be flippant.

 

I can only imagine what will be going through his mind as he returns o the village penniless. Hopefully his relatives didn't run out and buy motorbikes and hills trucks already. As I said earlier he could have turned Musk into a great friend of Thailand. 

 

 

[Cryingdick]

14 hours ago, Crustyhk said:

So does this mean we should all be fine if we call musk a “pedo”?

 

I am sure he wouldn't care. It's not like he hangs out in caves in Northern Thailand with 12 year old boys. 

[Jackin1960]

That being the case we now know that we can call any US citizens pedos on twitter etc.   

[alexth]

$190 million? Come om!!! That is straight up <deleted> taking!

[DoktorC]

9 minutes ago, Jackin1960 said:

That being the case we now know that we can call any US citizens pedos on twitter etc.   

just like we can call any little brit or ozzzzie a "pedo guy".   You don't have to discriminate.....

[Zack61]

Good result!!!

[TooMuchTime]

3 hours ago, Jackin1960 said:

That being the case we now know that we can call any US citizens pedos on twitter etc.   

 

You always could. 

 

God bless the 1st Amendment

[mike787]

22 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Vern should not have wasted his time and money. 

 

That aggressive defamation nonsense only works in undeveloped countries like Thailand. 

 

Never should have mouthed off about Musk's efforts to help either. 

Well said Fex Bluse....what a waste of time and money...now his ego is bruised on top of the losses.

[Artisi]

19 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

 

I am sure he wouldn't care. It's not like he hangs out in caves in Northern Thailand with 12 year old boys. 

Well he tried to and was told to <deleted>- off, not needed and useless ????

[lamyai3]

19 hours ago, jaffas21 said:

Yeah the articles i was reading never mentioned he wanted damages like that, when i  saw it earlier they were much lower. If he'd gone for 50 or 100k he would have won.  Looks like stupid greed really.

The initial amount was $75k, but this was the minimum to file the suit. I was surprised too when I heard the 190 million figure, but I expect Unsworth put himself fully in the hands of the Lin Wood advisors regarding how to proceed, including the amount of damages sought. The lawyers took the case pro bono and obviously saw it as winnable, one that would have set a groundbreaking precedent in social media libel cases if won. 

 

The verdict has set a precedent, but the other way, raising the bar for potential future defamation cases on Twitter and other social media. Although I agree with this (no one wants the floodgates opened to people bringing lawsuits after someone tweeted their butt was too big), in this instance it's a sad result. Musk made the gravest of accusations against a man who's been honoured by both Thailand and the UK as a hero, and he repeatedly doubled down on it. He finally admitted he was wrong in court and hadn't meant what he'd said, but an earlier out of court apology and a decent donation to a charity of Unsworth's choice would have been a much better conclusion. 

[lamyai3]

18 hours ago, smew said:

Bravo.. good verdict ..simply a silly remark that we all make every day about people we know and no one takes us to court... 

You neglected to mention how many times you've had your nose broken. 

[Benmart]

On 12/7/2019 at 6:29 AM, Fex Bluse said:

Vern should not have wasted his time and money. 

 

That aggressive defamation nonsense only works in undeveloped countries like Thailand. 

 

Never should have mouthed off about Musk's efforts to help either. 

I try to refrain from using the words, "should have" when it is used to describe another person's behavior. There are plenty of "you should have, he should have, they should have's" being offered as guidance by many strangers in life. If I am paying another persons way in life, then it's another story, and he "should have" listened to me.

[Prairieboy]

On 12/7/2019 at 6:52 AM, BestB said:

I never realised he was seeing $180 million in damages . Hardly surprising he lost

 

maybe if he was more smart and seeking $100000-200000 he would of won but $$180 million ?????

Unsworth's problem was that he listened to his greedy American lawyer and went for the 'kill'.  If won, the lawyer stood to make many, many millions in fees. 

[lamyai3]

18 hours ago, BigStar said:

Unsworth, not to mention his defenders here on this topic, simply had the wrong definition of pedo guy. Look it up:

 

pedo guy

An abbreviation of the word torpedo, pedo is a term of endearment often used by business magnates, investors and engineers, for a fast and excellent swimmer or diver.

 

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pedo guy.

Pretty sure I was the originator of this quip, while the rescue was still hot in the news. Surprised to see it was then immortalised on urbandictionary - wonder if I can sue ElonM for plagiarism? 

 

 

[bkk6060]

14 minutes ago, Prairieboy said:

Unsworth's problem was that he listened to his greedy American lawyer and went for the 'kill'.  If won, the lawyer stood to make many, many millions in fees. 

False assumption by many.

The amount asked had nothing to do with the verdict.

 

[JAG]

13 hours ago, gamini said:

Not true at all. Unsworth knowledge is only Cave diving. He is not qualified to comment on the difficulties of getting the children out. Whilst Musks mini submarine, would have been far safer if he had the time to modify it. He would have used his inovative skills too. 

I think the basic, insurmountable, problem, was that a submarine, by definition a rigid article, could not be bent to fit through the tight and angled caves, Mr Unsworths knowledge of the cave system rather does qualify him to speak on the matter.

[lamyai3]

15 hours ago, wealthychef said:

Oh, OK, so it's fine to call Elon Musk a pedophile on twitter, got it.  I'm off to post something right now.  Glad that's clear now!  

Ironically, in the same month as the tweets occurred, the media had been insinuating the same thing about Musk. It's kind of absurd that Unsworth's girlfriend was actually ten years older than Musk's was!

 

https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/26/photo-elon-musk-girlfriend-confusing-lot-people-7765125/

[The Preacher]

On 12/7/2019 at 6:36 AM, MarineEquine said:

One law for the rich and another for the poor. 

Nonsense.  Unsworth threw the first insult.  For his shenanigans, I hope the court saddles him with Musk's attorney fees.  He can pay up or go back to court and file for bankruptcy.

[PJPom]

Just read that Unsworths lawyers are wanting to declare a mistrial on a technicality, hope they have lots of money to waste. As for Unsworth the poor man is now having to live with this debacle for the rest of his life.

The revelations that he was disappointed at not being the centre of attention and refusing interviews unless paid certainly portrayed him in a very different light.

He was instrumental in the rescue and I am sure a lot of us admired him for his actions and now all he has left is a small gong from the UK and his name forever tainted by this result, very sad ending.

[wealthychef]

33 minutes ago, The Preacher said:

Nonsense.  Unsworth threw the first insult.  For his shenanigans, I hope the court saddles him with Musk's attorney fees.  He can pay up or go back to court and file for bankruptcy.

He might have thrown the first insult, but he's not a world famous billionaire running an important rescue project, and he did not call Musk a pedophile, which is outright slander, not just an insult.  

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

He might have thrown the first insult, but he's not a world famous billionaire running an important rescue project, and he did not call Musk a pedophile, which is outright slander, not just an insult.  

And you think “outright slander” is worth $190 million?

[wealthychef]

44 minutes ago, BestB said:

And you think “outright slander” is worth $190 million?

 

Way to move the goal posts!  OK, so we agree he slandered with his remark.  The amount of damage done is supposed to be figured out by the courts.  Personally, I'd say for sure, it's worth a small fraction of Musk's fortune.  The fact is that the amount is so mind boggling because of the enormous wealth Musk has.  If we are under a punishment theory of justice, then it should hurt Mr. Musk the Pedophile.