Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has found himself in a public disagreement with Indian-American billionaire Vinod Khosla. The argument revolves around public access to a beach in California, but it quickly escalated into a much larger dispute. It all began when Musk accused Khosla of blocking access to the beach, adding fuel to a 16-year-old legal battle between Khosla and the local authorities.
How the Dispute Started?
Musk took to social media platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), posting a controversial picture showing a sign that read “No Plebs Allowed” and claimed it was from Khosla’s property. Musk implied that Khosla had restricted access to a public beach. Khosla immediately denied the accusations, calling the picture fake and demanding an apology from Musk for spreading misinformation.
In response, Musk sarcastically replied, “Sorry, I showed you a sign restricting the movement of people to the public beach. It was terrible. Please forgive me.” Though it was an apology, the sarcastic tone was clear to Musk’s nearly 200 million followers, further intensifying the argument.
The 16-Year-Old Legal Battle
This beach access dispute is not new. In 2008, Khosla bought a piece of private property along Martins Beach in California, which was once a paid parking lot for beach visitors. However, after purchasing the land, Khosla has been involved in a legal battle to limit public access to the beach. His efforts to privatize the area have been met with resistance from the government and local activists, who argue that the beach should remain open to the public.
This ongoing legal battle has now taken center stage in Musk and Khosla’s online argument.
Musk and Khosla’s Political Disagreements
Their public clash over beach access isn’t limited to this issue alone. The two billionaires also stand on opposite sides of various political topics. Musk has been vocal in his support for Donald Trump and has shared his opinions on topics such as artificial intelligence and immigration. On the other hand, Khosla is a known supporter of Kamala Harris, and his views differ greatly from Musk’s, especially when it comes to immigration policies.
In their recent exchange, Musk called Khosla a hypocrite for supporting immigration policies that aim to move large groups of people to smaller cities, while restricting access to his beach. Khosla fired back, saying that Musk’s stance on immigration is equally hypocritical, as he supports legal immigration but opposes illegal immigration.
The Growing Public Feud
The ongoing verbal war between Musk and Khosla has gained significant public attention, not just for the beach access issue but also for how it highlights their differing political views. While both are highly influential in the tech world, their public disagreements continue to unfold, making headlines across social media and news outlets alike.