At a science event in Silicon Valley on Tuesday, an unexpected scene left attendees speechless. Elon Musk, the tech mogul and founder of Tesla, SpaceX and other groundbreaking companies, was the target of an unexpected verbal attack by an audience member. But what began as a tense incident quickly turned into a lesson in misperceptions and the importance of facts.

It all started when Musk was answering questions after a presentation on artificial intelligence and energy sustainability. During the session, an African-American man, who identified himself as an independent scientist, stood up and accused Musk of “stealing ideas” from marginalized communities and being “a symbol of corporate exploitation.”

The comment was met with murmurs of surprise from the audience, which consisted mainly of academics, businessmen and journalists. Musk, visibly calm, listened attentively before responding.

With characteristic composure, Musk clarified that he has always promoted collaboration and transparency in his projects, highlighting concrete examples such as Tesla’s open patents to accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy. “It is important to verify information before making such serious accusations,” Musk replied, as moderators tried to restore order in the room. Read more below