Elon Musk called a hero British cave diver who criticized him a "pedo guy." Max Whittaker / Getty Images 
 
 Elon Musk called a diver who helped in the Thai cave rescue a "pedo guy" in a lengthy, baseless Twitter thread on Sunday that he later deleted. 
 
 Musk was responding to criticism from British caver Vernon Unsworth, who told CNN that Musk "can stick his submarine where it hurts." 
 
 Unsworth, who lives in Thailand and has spent years exploring the Tham Luang cave system where the boys were trapped, was a key player in the dramatic rescue of the 12 boys and their soccer coach. 
 
 Musk created a "kid-size submarine" and went to Thailand to assist in the rescue, but authorities ended up not needing his device. 
 
 Unsworth called Musk's creation a "PR stunt" and said the submarine would have failed to make it 50 meters into the cave. 
 
 "It just had absolutely no chance of working. He had no conception of what the cave passage was like," Unsworth said. 
 
 In his first tweet of the thread, Musk said he didn't meet Unsworth and that he "never saw this British expat guy who lives in Thailand." 
 
 In the same thread, Musk also responded to Unsworth's claim that the Tesla CEO was asked to leave the cave and his help was not appreciated by officials leading the rescue mission. "Thai navy seals escorted us in — total opposite of wanting us to leave," Musk wrote. 
 
 Musk has since deleted these tweets. Elon Musk/Twitter 
 
 Believing the sub he built would have been able to get the trapped children out of the cage, Musk wrote, "I challenge this dude to show final rescue video." 
 
 In his next tweet six minutes later, Musk replied, "don't bother showing the video" and promised to send his sub to the spot where the soccer team was trapped. 
 
 "I was *asked* to help repeatedly," Musk continued in another tweet. "Declined several times, as I thought they had it in hand & only agreed to help when Thai SEAL died (deep cave pumps not operating at time). We designed the mini-sub to Stanton's specifications *and* brought a flexible rescue pod just in case." 
 
 Musk draws ire for tweets 
 
 Musk was widely mocked on social media after the boys were rescued without the use of his submarine. He hit back at his critics this week, saying the dive team had instructed him to keep working on the submarine. 
 
 Musk has since deleted these tweets. Elon Musk/Twitter 
 
 In other replies to critics on Twitter Sunday morning, Musk said, "Stay tuned jack--- …" and "Bet ya a signed dollar it's true" to someone expressing skepticism that Unsworth could be a pedophile. 
 
 Musk deleted the Twitter thread hours later on Sunday, but not before they had been captured in screenshots. 
 
 The tweets came just two days after a Bloomberg interview where Musk said he was trying to stop attacking people on Twitter. ||||| While the rest of the world celebrated the rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave in northern Thailand this week, Elon Musk is still mad that his plan to help out didn’t work. And he’s throwing a fit on Twitter — he baselessly accused one of the British divers involved in the mission of being a pedophile. 
 
 Here’s what happened: 63-year-old British caver Vern Unsworth, who according to CNN played an instrumental role in rescuing the team, criticized Musk in an interview with the network this week for his attempted involvement in the mission. As the saga was unfolding, Musk said that his companies SpaceX and the Boring Company would help rescue the boys. He proposed creating an “air tunnel underwater.” Musk also had engineers from SpaceX and Tesla build and test a mini submarine for the boys to escape, but it was never used. 
 
 Unsworth in an interview with CNN said Musk’s submarine was “just a PR stunt” and had “absolutely no chance” of working. “He can stick his submarine where it hurts,” he said. 
 
 Cave rescuer on Musk: “It was a PR stunt. It had no chance of working.” pic.twitter.com/uPgRMQLkRx — Quoth the Raven (@QTRResearch) July 13, 2018 
 
 Musk reacted to Unsworth’s assessment in a series of tweets. He said he “never saw this British expat guy” and mentioned a rescue video that he said could refute his remarks. But then Musk went a step further, saying not to “bother” showing the video and calling Unsworth a “pedo guy” — as in, accusing him of being a pedophile. 
 
 Water level was actually very low & still (not flowing) — you could literally have swum to Cave 5 with no gear, which is obv how the kids got in. If not true, then I challenge this dude to show final rescue video. Huge credit to pump & generator team. Unsung heroes here. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2018 
 
 You know what, don’t bother showing the video. We will make one of the mini-sub/pod going all the way to Cave 5 no problemo. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2018 
 
 When a fellow Twitter user pointed out the accusation Musk had lobbed, the South African entrepreneur responded, “Bet ya a signed dollar it’s true.” 
 
 Bet ya a signed dollar it’s true — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2018 
 
 No evidence supporting Musk’s claim has yet been made public, and Unsworth has yet to respond to the accusation. 
 
 Elon Musk should probably get off the internet for a second 
 
 Musk, 47, is a combative personality and is often quick to attack those who criticize him. In a May conference call discussing Tesla’s latest earnings, Musk mocked analysts. “Boring, bonehead questions are not cool — next,” he said after one analyst asked a question. He told another the questions were “so dry” that they’re “killing me.” 
 
 His grievances often make it to Twitter, where he lambastes and argues with fellow users and makes complaints. 
 
 Also in May, Musk went after the media, apparently incensed by a string of unflattering reports about Tesla, including production delays, a deadly autopilot crash, and questions regarding its labor practices. He lambasted the press for it’s “holier-than-thou hypocrisy” and said he would “create a site where the public can rate the core truth of any article” and track the “credibility store” of journalists and outlets. 
 
 Even if some of the public doesn’t care about the credibility score, the journalists, editors & publications will. It is how they define themselves. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 23, 2018 
 
 Before the pedophile accusation, Musk spent much of the weekend squabbling over Federal Election Commission filings that show he donated to a House Republican PAC. Musk also donates to Democrats and said on Twitter that he gives a “nominal annual amount” to both parties to “maintain dialogue.” He also said that until this weekend, he didn’t see the checks that go out. 
 
 That said, I do not actually see the checks (changed that policy today). A nominal annual amount goes out automatically to both parties to maintain dialogue. I have given vastly more to humanitarian causes. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2018 
 
 A week ago on July 8, in an interview with Bloomberg, Musk addressed his Twitter habits and said he would tone it down. 
 
 “I have made the mistaken assumption — and I will attempt to be better at this — of thinking that because somebody is on Twitter and is attacking me that it is open season,” he said. “And that is my mistake. I will correct it.” 
 
 Musk fired off the “pedo” tweet exactly seven days later. The “be better” plan didn’t last long. ||||| MAE SAI, Thailand — As the world watched rescuers struggle to save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave in northern Thailand, the tech billionaire Elon Musk dreamed up a “kid-size” submarine to help. It turns out they didn’t need it. 
 
 So he left it there, “in case it may be useful in the future,” he said on Twitter. 
 
 By Tuesday, the rescue operation had succeeded in saving all 13 people trapped in the Tham Luang Cave. Earlier this week, eight of the soccer teammates were evacuated from the flooded cave, a mission that required guiding the boys through passageways filled with water. 
 
 [Update: The Thai Navy may have a use for the abandoned mini-submarine.] 
 
 It was a daunting task. On Friday, a former Thai Navy SEAL lost consciousness and died while placing air canisters on a route within the cave being used in the rescue effort. 
 
 Once the last four boys, their soccer coach and military personnel were evacuated Tuesday, Thai officials said in a Facebook post that the mission was complete. It had taken 18 days, dozens of divers and hundreds of volunteers, but Mr. Musk’s mini-submarine invention was left on the sidelines, a Thai official said. ||||| Image copyright Reuters Image caption Elon Musk said he had "spoken in anger" 
 
 Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has apologised to a British cave diver he called "pedo guy" in a row over the cave rescue in northern Thailand. 
 
 He said he had "spoken in anger" after Vern Unsworth ridiculed a mini-submarine he had commissioned for the rescue effort as a "PR stunt". 
 
 "His actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologise," Mr Musk said. 
 
 Mr Unsworth has said he may sue for being called a "paedophile". 
 
 Twelve boys and their football coach were rescued from deep within a cave earlier this month after being trapped for more than two weeks. 
 
 Mr Unsworth's knowledge of the cave complex is said to have played a key role in the rescue effort. 
 
 He travelled into the caves in the first days after the boys went missing and helped bring in top international cave rescue experts for the mission. 
 
 Mr Musk, head of the SpaceX and Tesla companies, visited the command centre in Thailand during the rescue, announcing he had left the rescuers a mini-submarine. 
 
 Skip Twitter post by @elonmusk Just returned from Cave 3. Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids’ soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future. Thailand is so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/EHNh8ydaTT — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2018 Report 
 
 What did Musk say? 
 
 In a reply to another user on Twitter on Wednesday, referring to an article about his involvement in the rescue mission, he wrote that he was apologising to both Mr Unsworth and the companies he led. 
 
 "The fault is mine and mine alone," he declared. 
 
 At the same time, he accused Mr Unsworth of telling "untruths" about his mini-submarine, which was not used in the rescue. 
 
 Skip Twitter post 2 by @elonmusk As this well-written article suggests, my words were spoken in anger after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub, which had been built as an act of kindness & according to specifications from the dive team leader. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 18, 2018 Report 
 
 Skip Twitter post 3 by @elonmusk Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 18, 2018 Report 
 
 How did the row erupt? 
 
 Mr Unsworth had said the mini-sub would have had "absolutely no chance of working" - and suggested Mr Musk could "stick his submarine where it hurts". 
 
 The entrepreneur fired back with a tweet where, without using Mr Unsworth's name, he referred to a "British expat guy who lives in Thailand". 
 
 He said he would make a video showing the mini-sub making it deep inside the cave "no problemo", adding, "Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it." 
 
 The tweet, sent to his more than 22 million followers, was later deleted. 
 
 No charges or complaints had ever been filed against Mr Unsworth, Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed police officer in Thailand's Chiang Rai area as saying. 
 
 Separately, Mr Musk attacked the Thai official in charge of the command centre, Narongsak Osotthanakorn, for saying the mini-sub had been "not practical", though "technologically sophisticated". 
 
 Mr Musk said Mr Osotthanakorn had been "described inaccurately as 'rescue chief'" and was "not the subject matter expert". 
 
 How did the cave drama unfold? 
 
 The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach became trapped by floodwater while exploring the Tham Luang cave system on 23 June. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Thai cave rescue: Saying sorry to cave spirit Nang Norn 
 
 Cut off from the outside world, they were not found by divers until 2 July and a complex rescue operation ensued, during which one diver lost his life. 
 
 The 13 were finally extracted in groups over three days, the last emerging on 10 July. 
 
 Mr Musk visited the scene when it was still unclear whether divers on their own would be able to bring out the boys. 
 
 He tweeted an email from Richard Stanton - one of two British caving experts called in to front the rescue - who had urged the business leader to build the capsule as quickly as possible. 
 
 What other controversies have involved Musk? 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rockets, cars and flame throwers: Who is Elon Musk? 
 
 The entrepreneur has been likened in the past to a genius behaving like a playground bully. 
 
 He told financial analysts at a Tesla earnings call this year that their "boring bonehead questions" were "not cool". 
 
 A leaked work email shows he advised Tesla staff to keep big meetings "very short" and to walk out of a meeting or end a phone call if it was failing to serve a useful purpose. 
 
 More bizarrely, last month he scrapped on Twitter over rights to an image of a farting unicorn, before dismissing the row as "kinda lame".
– An 18-day mission to save 12 boys and a soccer coach trapped in a Thai cave succeeded without Elon Musk's mini-submersible, which was deemed unsuitable and left behind in the Tham Luang cave complex. It's "a reminder that sometimes this tech superhero doesn't quite match up to the Iron Man of his fans' dreams," says the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones. Musk begs to differ. After rescue head Narongsak Osottanakorn said Musk's kid-sized sub built from rocket parts was "not practical for our mission," the billionaire SpaceX founder took to Twitter to question Osottanakorn's expertise. He "is not the subject matter expert," Musk tweeted Tuesday, sharing a July 7 email from a rescue diver, per the New York Times. It asks Musk to "please keep working on the capsule details." A spokesman for the diver said Tuesday that cave passages were too narrow for the sub, but "based on extensive cave video review & discussion with several divers who know journey, SpaceX engineering is absolutely certain that mini-sub can do entire journey & demonstrate at any time," Musk continued, adding he left the sub behind "in case it may be useful in the future." Aaron Mak at Slate gives him some credit. "Musk's involvement, though ultimately unnecessary, appears to have been well-intended and did not impede the operation," he writes. You can't fault a guy for trying, adds Bryan Clark at The Next Web. "Musk delivered a working submersible in around 30 hours in an attempt to solve a very real problem, a problem that undoubtedly costs hundreds of thousands of his own money in materials, research, and man hours," he says, deeming the effort "worthy of praise."