Musk’s Top Advisers Urged Twitter Break After Cave Diver Attack

  • Billionaire resisted inner circle’s suggestions for an apology
  • Consultant feared the CEO risked a no-confidence vote by board
Elon MuskPhotographer: David Calvert/Bloomberg
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Elon Musk enlisted help from senior executives at each of his companies to clean up after his personal attack against a British cave diver last year, and bristled at their initial suggestion for how to apologize, according to newly released court documents.

Sam Teller, a director in the office of the CEO at Tesla, SpaceX, Boring Co. and Neuralink, sought feedback from a team of executives, lawyers and advisers inside and outside the companies on what Musk should do after baselessly calling the diver a pedophile in July 2018. The insult, lobbed after Musk’s attempt to help save Thai children trapped in a cave was rejected, sent Tesla’s stock tumbling and prompted the group to suggest that Musk take a break from Twitter.