The Office star Rainn Wilson blasts Elon Musk for 'stealing' his idea for a quiet leaf blower without giving credit
- Wilson demanded Musk give him credit for the leaf blower idea on Wednesday
- Actor had previously tweeted at Musk suggesting a 'quiet electric leaf blower'
- Musk announced Tesla would make the product without crediting Wilson
Actor Rainn Wilson of The Office has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of failing to give him proper credit for the idea for a quiet leaf blower.
Wilson, who portrayed Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom, demanded credit for the idea in a tweet to the Telsa CEO on Wednesday, after Musk announced his company would be making the product.
The unusual drama began last Friday, when Wilson tweeted at Musk: 'can u make a quiet electric leaf blower?'
Wilson, who most recently returned to the small screen as villain Harry Mudd on Star Trek: Discovery, did not receive a direct reply from Musk.
Actor Rainn Wilson (left) demanded credit for the idea for a quiet electric leaf blower in a tweet on Wednesday, after Musk (right) announced Telsa would be making the product
Wilson is best known for playing Dwight Schrute (above) on the NBC sitcom The Office
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However, some noticed that about an hour after Wilson's tweet, Musk tweeted without explanation: 'Back to work...'
Then on Tuesday, Musk tweeted: 'Tesla is going to develop a quiet, electric leafblower'.
When someone responded noting that Wilson had recently suggested the very same idea, Musk was dismissive.
'It's been suggested by many, externally & internally,' Musk wrote.
Wilson, however, was not convinced. 'C'mon Musk, give me some credit,' the actor wrote on Wednesday.
'Nope,' Musk quickly replied, adding a winking face emoji.
It is unclear whether Tesla will actually produce an electric leaf blower, or whether the exchange was a joke.
However, Musk has previously announced unusual products on Twitter with seeming spontaneity, and gone on to produce them.
Most notably, his Boring Company offered 'flamethrowers' last year for $500, which quickly sold out.
On Wednesday, a few hours after Musk's leaf blower tweet, Tesla announced its first-quarter results, posting a heavy loss as car deliveries sputtered overseas and a US tax credit that made its prices more attractive was reduced.
The California-based company reported a loss of $702 million in the first three months of this year after two consecutive quarters of profit.
Tesla produced about 63,000 Model 3 vehicles in the period, an increase of three percent from the same quarter a year earlier but fewer than had been anticipated.
The company attributed its disappointing financial results to Model 3 shipping delays, particularly in Europe and China.
Overall company revenue in the period rose 33 percent to $4.5 billion in a year-over-year comparison, but fell far short of Wall Street forecasts.
