A Tesla superfan has revealed he was behind the company’s trademark applications for jets and boats, which he submitted in a bid to “help” Elon Musk.
In late December, a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office caused a stir by hinting the Austin-based company could be expanding into motors that were “not for land vehicles.”
Investing.com reported the submission was for categories including motors for airplanes, boats, and toys.
The apparent expansion came as shares in the disrupter took an uptick in the final days of 2022, as investors waited on news of a record Q4 and full-year delivery statistics.
However, Tesla’s supposed rollout into the sea and sky was actually the work of a self-professed fan, Jerome Eady.
Although the document signed on Dec. 28 named Tesla as the trademark owner, it was actually Eady’s signature that appeared on the bottom line.
Earlier this week the application had been listed as “awaiting assignment to an examining attorney.”
Speaking to Bloomberg on Wednesday, Eady said he was just trying to “help.”
Eady added he had proactively filed after Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested its Cybertruck may be usable as a boat.
Musk has previously mused about building electric planes—even confirming the batteries needed to make electric flight possible could be produced by 2024.
In 2021, the Twitter owner added he is “dying” to make a “supersonic jet.”
Eady confirmed he had acted without Tesla’s knowledge or permission.
Tesla and an attorney listed on the trademark filing did not respond to requests by Fortune for comment.
The patent office also didn’t immediately reply.
Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter examines how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today’s executives. Subscribe here.