"By referring to Mr. Unsworth as 'pedo guy,' I did not intend to convey any facts or imply that Mr. Unsworth had engaged in acts of pedophilia," Musk said in the filing. "'Pedo guy' was a common insult used in South Africa when I was growing up. It is synonymous with 'creepy old man' and is used to insult a person's appearance and demeanor, not accuse a person of acts of pedophilia."

"I did not intend to accuse Mr. Unsworth of engaging in acts of pedophilia. In response to his insults in the CNN interview, I meant to insult him back by expressing my opinion that he seemed like a creepy old man," Musk added.

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Musk did not provide further explanation for a later tweet in which he said he would bet a dollar that Unsworth was a "pedo."

"Oh, sorry, he's calling the guy who found the children a pedo. Real classy," a Twitter user said to Musk last year in July.

"Bet ya a signed dollar it's true," Musk replied.

Alex Spiro, an attorney representing Musk, declined Business Insider's request for comment.

Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Co. did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.