Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and Indian-American billionaire Vinod Khosla became embroiled in a public feud over a disputed land issue in California and a supposedly AI-generated image of a beach sign. The conflict escalated when the Tesla CEO criticized Khosla for allegedly blocking public access to a beach, sharing a doctored image of a sign reading "No plebs allowed" on Khosla's property.
Khosla strongly denied the accusation and demanded an apology, stating that Musk’s post had led to negative media coverage. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Khosla stated, "You owe me an apology for spreading falsehoods. I think this post of yours needs a community comment for being a fraudulent photo. I have never put up this sign or anything even remotely like this. I presume it is AI-generated, but you can verify that."
Musk responded with his characteristic sarcasm, saying, "Sorry I made a sign about you restricting access to a public beach. That was so extremely terrible. Please forgive me 🙏"
His reply, seen by his more than 200 million followers, was immediately recognized by the users for its irony.
Background On The Martins Beach Dispute
In 2008, Khosla, a prominent Indian-origin venture capitalist, purchased the land around Martins Beach for $32.5 million. This led to a legal dispute, as Khosla’s legal team argued that the road to the beach was on private property, giving him the right to limit access.
While his legal team defends the gate's legitimacy based on property rights, opponents argue that access should remain open. The dispute reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, and a recent ruling by Superior Court Judge Raymond Swope denied Khosla’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit challenging his right to restrict access to the popular surfing destination near San Francisco.
Musk’s post reignited the controversy by sharing a seemingly doctored image of a sign reading "No plebs allowed," implying Khosla was intentionally blocking public access. Khosla swiftly responded, refuting the accusation, claiming the image was fabricated, and demanding a public apology from Musk.
