Elon Musk on trial: CEO accused of defamation over 'pedo guy' remarks

LA court hears the billionaire testify in Vernon Unsworth's lawsuit over comments after Thai cave rescue

It was a gripping tale of peril and prowess that captivated the world for more than two tense weeks in the summer of 2018. Twelve boys and their football coach were lost in a subterranean maze in the Tham Luong caves in Thailand. An international team of cave divers raced to rescue them before monsoon rains were due to flood the caves. The story was destined to be fodder for a Hollywood blockbuster - and that was before an eccentric billionaire got involved.

On Tuesday, a postscript to the feelgood tale of the Tham Luang cave rescue played out in a federal courthouse in Los Angeles as the trial began in a defamation case brought by the British caver Vernon Unsworth against Tesla's chief executive, Elon Musk.