Musk Unloads on 'Hit Piece' Documentary, Slams Director Alex Gibney
Alex Gibney's four-hour documentary, “Musk,” premiered at the Venice Film Festival to positive reviews, exploring the life and controversies of Elon Musk. Musk himself has vehemently condemned the film as a “hit piece” and “boring,” despite it being unclear if he has seen it. The documentary features interviews with various figures, including his family members and business associates, and highlights an allegation of a $40 million NDA offer, which Musk denies.
A four-hour documentary titled “Musk,” directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, generating significant attention and a four-minute standing ovation. The film, which earned a slew of positive reviews, delves into the life and influence of Elon Musk, the world's richest man. It explores various aspects of his public and private life, including his political shift to a MAGA supporter, controversies surrounding his “Occupy Mars” mission and Tesla’s self-driving car technology, and his often-contentious relationships with the mothers of his 14 children.
Elon Musk himself has reacted strongly to the documentary, labeling it a “hit piece” and deriding it as “boring.” Following its premiere, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disdain, claiming that “dogshit is worth more respect” than Gibney. He further asserted that Gibney had “just assembled a hit list of people who either have an axe to grind or don’t even know me (but still have an axe to grind),” accusing the director of having “ZERO integrity” and calling him a “Horrible human.” It remains unclear whether Musk has actually viewed the film he so vocally criticized.
The documentary features a range of interviews with individuals closely associated with Musk, including his first wife, Justine Musk; his father, Errol Musk; and Ashley St. Clair, who is the mother of his 13th child. Other prominent figures interviewed include Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “godfather of AI”; Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard; and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. During a press conference panel at Venice, Ashley St. Clair alleged that Musk had offered her a $40 million non-disclosure agreement (NDA) after the birth of their son, Romulus, last year. St. Clair stated her intention to “set the example for my kids that we should never take being materially comfortable that we’re speaking the truth.” Musk, however, refuted this claim in a reply to a TMZ article, stating: “She was never offered that and has a history of making false claims.”
Gibney revealed at the film’s press conference that he initially attempted to interview Musk, but the tech billionaire declined. The director explained that the scope of the film expanded as Musk’s public profile and political engagements grew, particularly his involvement with Donald Trump and U.S. politics. As a result of Musk's refusal to participate, Gibney and his team developed an AI avatar of Musk to deliver some of his previously stated comments within the film. “Musk” is scheduled for release in U.S. theaters on October 16, distributed by Bleecker Street.