'He is otherwise an idiot,' Elon Musk slams pro-war critic Garry Kasparov

AP Photo/John Raoux, File

Elon Musk called out one of his loudest critics, Garry Kasparov, calling the chess player an “idiot” for trying to stifle his efforts at promoting peace in Ukraine. 

Since he began promoting efforts to establish peace between Ukraine and Russia months into the invasion, Musk, who spent millions supporting Ukraine through his Starlink service, has faced numerous accusations of “appeasement” and being a “Russian asset.” 

Musk’s critics, including Kasparov, object to his suggestion for the two countries to establish an armistice and for Ukraine to come to terms with the reality that it is unlikely to ever regain Crimea as part of its territory.

“The cost is huge but Ukraine is paying this cost,” said Kasparov on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Monday. “So why are people sitting in the comfort of their mansions in Silicon Valley telling Ukraine how to conduct their own affairs? It’s moral idiocy and geopolitical blindness.”

Kasparov appeared to be referencing Musk, who polled his audience on October 3, suggesting to his audience that there were several conditions for peace, including United Nations-supervised elections in the regions of Ukraine that were annexed by Russia, and for Crimea to be officially recognized as a part of Russia. 

Kasparov, a former world chess champion, is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s loudest detractors and was once picked to run as an opposition candidate. 

While it’s true that Kasparov is almost as good at playing chess as my iPhone, he is otherwise an idiot

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2022

“While it’s true that Kasparov is almost as good at playing chess as my iPhone, he is otherwise an idiot,” Musk wrote on Twitter. “And I don’t even own a house, let alone a ‘mansion,’ you douche.”

Unlike his billionaire peers, Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, lives in a modest rental in Texas. In addition to his outspoken advocacy for peace in Ukraine, Musk has spent more than $80 million supporting Ukraine’s telecommunications infrastructure with Starlink. 

Earlier this month, Musk’s company SpaceX asked the Pentagon to pay for the service. He later retracted the request and said he would cover the costs.