Elon Musk and Indian origin billionaire Vinod Khosla are currently fighting a social media battle. The debate started all over again when Musk posted a picture of a sign that said ‘No plebs allowed’ which, according to Musk, was put up by Khosla and then proceeded to bash the man for locking up the public area yet wanting to open the borders to migrants without proper screening. Musk jokingly proposed to organize a BBQ party on the beach and said that it should be public.
Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a Kamala Harris supporter, fired back by challenging Musk to apologize for telling lies, arguing that the image must have been created by AI. He reiterated that he has never put up such a sign and explained his lawsuit over the ownership of the property, which began in 2008 when he bought the land around the Martins Beach for USD 32.5 million.
He said, “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. It will help X if we can have rational debate and not get personal.
The legal battle escalated recently when a San Mateo County Superior Court judge rejected Khosla’s bid to get rid of a legal action by the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission, which wants the public access to the beach. Khosla has stood firm on his argument that court decisions have upheld his argument on private property rights, while citizens and environmentalists continue to protest.
Despite having a trial set for April 2025, both billionaires are still publicly taunting each other and focusing on the various ways in which they disagree about democracy, values, and citizenship. As they move across this contentious ground, their struggle remains the allegory of the overarching political struggle still being waged in American society regarding who is allowed access to public spaces and how class reconciles this matter in modern America.
