Okay, so remember in July when Elon Musk inserted himself into the gut wrenching situation in Thailand, where 12 teenagers got stuck in a flooded cave? The Tesla CEO put forward a host of suggestions to get the boys to safety which included a suggestion to build a mini submarine. When the people actually doing the rescue work called it “not practical”, Musk freaked out and called one of the rescuers a peadophile.

Months later, Vernon Unsworth is keen to shake off the damaging allegations by suing the billionaire. The lawsuit seeks $75,000 (£57,000) in compensation and an injunction against Musk who made very public allegations about the 63-year-old being a “child rapist” without a shred of evidence to support such a claim.

Musk sent a series of now-deleted tweets in which he accused Vernon Unsworth, a 63-year-old volunteer who was crucial to the rescue, of being sexually attracted to children. In the tweets he only referred to Unsworth as the “British expat guy who lives in Thailand”. “I challenge this dude to show final rescue video. You know what, don’t bother showing the video,” he wrote in one tweet before replying to himself. “Sorry paedo guy, you really did ask for it.”

The billionaire had even boasted about the fact that he had not been sued by Unsworth, asking his followers: “You don’t think it’s strange he hasn’t sued me? He was offered free legal services.”

Well, now he is definitely being sued, as a suit has been filed in California, and the BBC reports that one is due to follow in London. “Musk's influence and wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law,” Unsworth's US attorney, L. Lin Wood, told the news outlet.

So I think we can all learn a lesson here: you cannot damage a person’s reputation to 2.2 million followers worldwide, taunt them, and not expect them to sue you.

It’s been a rollercoaster month for the tech entrepreneur who is probably still reeling from when he got Azealia Banks-ed. The rapper, singer (and, quite frankly the best gift to the internet ever) spent days in his home waiting for Grimes, and Instagramming allegations about her encounters with the couple, and Musk’s drug habits. Musk has not really commented on the debacle ... or sued Banks. 

More on Musk’s descent into chaos as it develops.