Khosla Demands Apology in Feud with Musk Over Beach Access

Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla is demanding an apology from Elon Musk after a public spat erupted on social media. The conflict between the two wealthy tech moguls stems from an ongoing legal battle over access to Martins Beach in California, which Khosla owns. Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), escalated the feud by posting an altered image mocking Khosla, renewing a rivalry that spans months and involves disagreements over politics, artificial intelligence, and immigration.

The dispute began when Musk posted a digitally altered sign reading “No plebs allowed. Property of Vinod Khosla,” referencing Khosla’s long-standing legal battle to restrict public access to Martins Beach. Khosla purchased the land in 2008, which includes the only road leading to the popular beach south of San Francisco. The purchase sparked controversy when Khosla blocked the road and put up “no trespassing” signs, effectively cutting off public access. His actions have led to nearly two decades of legal battles, including a Supreme Court appeal in 2018, which was rejected. Khosla has insisted that, as the property owner, he has the right to control access to his land.

In response to Musk’s post, Khosla fired back, accusing Musk of “spreading falsehoods” and demanding a public apology. Khosla asserted that he never erected a sign like the one depicted in Musk’s tweet, calling Musk’s behavior irresponsible and damaging. Khosla added that such misleading information could cause harm, given Musk’s massive platform and following on social media. Khosla’s rebuttal also reignited a broader dispute between the two billionaires, who have clashed over several high-profile issues in recent years.

The feud between Musk and Khosla is not new, and it extends beyond beach access. The two have publicly argued about the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the development of artificial intelligence, and immigration policies. Their latest exchange highlighted the tension between their differing political views. Musk, known for his libertarian-leaning views, criticized Khosla for allegedly supporting a plan to send “tens of thousands of unvetted migrants to small towns throughout America” while opposing public access to his beach property. Khosla responded by labeling Musk a “hypocrite,” countering that he is against illegal immigration but supports legal, vetted immigration as a competitive advantage for the United States.

Musk’s post over the weekend marked another round of public barbs between the two tech titans. Khosla, a political independent who has supported Democratic figures like Vice President Kamala Harris, and Musk, who has grown increasingly critical of government regulation and traditional political parties, have found themselves on opposing sides of various political debates. Khosla, for instance, recently criticized Musk’s conversation with Donald Trump, calling it “dumb” and accusing Musk of being deranged in his defense of the former president. Musk, in turn, has characterized Khosla as overly obsessed with Trump, deepening the rift between them.

The dispute over Martins Beach, however, remains at the core of the conflict. Khosla bought the property for $32.5 million in 2008, and the beach had historically been accessible to the public via a paid parking lot. In 2010, Khosla closed the road leading to the beach, citing his rights as a private property owner. State officials, including the California Coastal Commission and the State Lands Commission, have fought to restore public access, arguing that the road has historically been used by the public and should remain open. Khosla, however, has maintained that the beach was never freely accessible to the public, emphasizing that it was private property where access was regulated by paid parking fees under the previous ownership.

Last week, Khosla faced a setback when a judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit from the California Coastal Commission and the State Lands Commission, which seeks to force him to allow public access to the beach road. The case is set to go to trial in April, but the legal wrangling has already drawn significant attention, in part due to Khosla’s high profile as a billionaire investor and venture capitalist. Khosla Ventures, the firm he founded after co-founding Sun Microsystems in the early 1980s, has invested heavily in experimental technologies, including artificial intelligence and biomedicine.

The battle over Martins Beach has drawn support and criticism from various quarters, but Musk’s involvement has intensified the public spotlight on the issue. Musk, the world’s wealthiest person with a net worth of $257.3 billion, has used his platform on X to engage in high-profile disputes with other billionaires and political figures. Recently, Musk has traded insults with figures like Scottish politician Humza Yousaf, whom he called “super racist against white people,” and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Musk referred to as a dictator. Musk has also clashed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accusing him of suppressing free speech after Canada passed laws to regulate online streaming services.

Khosla, who ranks as the 397th richest person globally with an estimated net worth of $7.4 billion, has mostly kept a lower profile in public debates compared to Musk. However, the ongoing feud between the two men has continued to simmer, especially as they both remain influential figures in the tech and venture capital worlds. Musk’s involvement in artificial intelligence development, particularly through his company X.AI, and Khosla’s investments in companies like OpenAI, have also placed them on opposite sides of debates over the future of AI regulation.

Despite their frequent clashes, it’s unlikely that Musk and Khosla will resolve their differences anytime soon. The ongoing legal battle over Martins Beach, combined with their differing political and technological views, ensures that the two will continue to cross paths—and swords—on both social media and in public forums. As the case heads to trial next year, the feud between Musk and Khosla may only intensify further.