Elon Musk’s flamethrowers listed on eBay

Just in time for Father’s Day, Elon Musk’s tunneling construction company began handing out its first batch of $500 flamethrowers this weekend.

Musk tweeted “First 1000 Boring Company Flamethrowers being picked up today!”

What started as an online gag has turned into a marketing ploy worth millions — with the first 1,000 customers receiving the flamethrower — that promotes the Boring Co., Musk’s endeavor to build underground transportation tunnels.

The billionaire inventor and chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX announced the sale of the flamethrower last year.

Only 20,000 of them would be made, he said, and they quickly sold out. “When the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll be glad you bought a flamethrower.

“Works against hordes of the undead or your money back!” Musk joked in January, when customers were still able to order them online. At $500 each, the flamethrowers brought in $10 million.

Some customers are already trying to turn a profit on the device. On eBay, interested buyers can bid on several listings for the Boring Co.’s “Not a Flamethrower.”

(Late Monday morning, the cheapest one was priced at $2,250.) A listing for just the instruction manual was asking for $250.

The most eager customers can forgo the bidding process and pay the eBay “buy it now price,” which is as high as $20,000.