Elon Musk is unapologetic.
He rarely apologizes.
The billionaire CEO of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX has built some of his brand and influence on this defiant side. He attacks, counter-attacks and uses all the weapons at his disposal.
And when the blow is gone, there are no regrets to be had. There are no excuses to be made regardless of the damage caused by the attack.
He goes forward and never looks back. It is therefore rare to see him apologize.
Last October, Paul Pelosi, husband of Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, was violently attacked in his house in San Francisco.
Many Democratic leaders, including Hillary Clinton, attributed the attack to to America's deepening political divisions and to hate speech by some politicians.
'More to This Story Than Meets the Eye'
Musk, who had announced Republican support a few months earlier, disagreed with that explanation. He then put forward another version of the attack based on a conspiracy theory.
"There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye," the billionaire responded to Clinton.
He provided a link to an article in the Santa Monica Observer, which attributes the attack on Pelosi to an argument gone wrong.
Musk later deleted the post.
The Santa Monica Observer has been known for publishing false information on a number of occasions, including a story about Hillary Clinton passing away and her body double being sent to debate Donald Trump in one of the 2016 presidential candidate debates.
According to the police, a man broke into the Pelosi home in San Francisco on Oct.27, demanding to see Nancy Pelosi. He then violently assaulted her husband with a hammer. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington at the time, according to the Capitol Police.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to a San Francisco hospital, where he underwent surgery to treat a fractured skull and injuries to his right arm and hands, a statement said at the time.
The suspect, David Depape, 42, was also taken to the hospital. He is suspected of attempted murder, assault with a weapon, elder abuse and burglary.
'I Apologize'
Three months later, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Stephen Murphy denied a request from prosecutors to keep videos linked to the attack under wraps. Footage that shows part of the violent attack has just been released to the public. Images debunked numerous troll claims that sprung up in the initial aftermath of the incident.
They show the alleged attacker breaking into the Pelosi's San Francisco home, debunking claims that he was invited in by Paul Pelosi.
There are also images of the actual attack captured by police bodycam footage.
After the videos were released, Musk found himself in the crosshairs of Democrats and personalities demanding that he apologize to the Pelosis for promoting fake news.
"This would be a perfect moment for @elonmusk to apologize to the Pelosi family," MSNBC journalist Stephanie Ruhle tweeted at the billionaire on Jan. 28. "I can't think of a more impactful time for him to use his power, influence and platform to express contrition & compassion."
"I did," the Techno King, as he's known at Tesla, responded.
He then accompanied this message with others published a little earlier on the platform in which he indeed apologized to the Pelosi family.
"Idiots on the left want @elonmusk to apologize to the Pelosis. For what? It is still a questionable and bizarre situation between two men in their underwear," author Juanita Broaddrick had said earlier.
"Nonetheless, I apologize," Musk responded.
"For what?" commented Jenna Ellis, an attorney who represented former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 elections.
In response, Musk re-posted his Oct. 30 tweet promoting fake news and conspiracy theory.
The serial entrepreneur subsequently seemed to deplore a double standard when it was he who was attacked. He took advantage of comments from his fans wondering which influential figures had apologized for saying 'bad things' about Musk to do so.
"Just wondering how many influential people have asked your forgiveness for undeservedly saying and doing bad things to you, for lying about you, your family, and companies, for bringing so much harm to you?" lamented one fan.
"That is rather rare," Musk said.
