Alex Gibney’s nearly four-hour documentary “Musk,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 8, tackles Elon Musk’s journey from a Silicon Valley start-up entrepreneur to a prominent figure during Donald Trump’s second term, utilizing an AI-generated avatar and rigorous investigative reporting to examine the tech billionaire’s business dealings, personal life, and political influence.
Tesla Autopilot and Legal Fallout Put Under the Microscope
According to Business Insider and Variety, the documentary examines how Musk turned Tesla into a cash cow after taking the company public, while also investigating the darker side of its Autopilot driver-assist system. Gibney contrasts a 2016 promotional video from Tesla depicting fully autonomous driving with dash-cam footage from a deadly 2019 crash in Key Largo, Florida, which killed one person and severely injured another.
As reported by Business Insider, a Russian hacker subsequently retrieved key crash data that Tesla had claimed was inaccessible. This evidence contributed to a jury ruling that Tesla was partially liable and responsible for $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages, a judgment Tesla is currently appealing. Variety notes that while more than 60 fatalities have been linked to Tesla’s driver-assistance systems over the years, the company largely managed to navigate past lawsuits, federal investigations, and fatal accidents prior to this renewed cinematic scrutiny.
AI Pioneer Warns of Potential Election Risks via DOGE
The documentary explores Musk’s oversight of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, alongside President Trump to overhaul the federal government and slash spending. According to Business Insider, tech reporters from Wired and The Wall Street Journal state in the film that this role provided Musk with access to the personal information of American citizens.
Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI” and a friend-turned-frenemy of Musk, expresses concern in the documentary regarding these developments. Hinton tells Gibney that he believes Musk could leverage this information to corrupt upcoming midterm elections. “If you wanted to corrupt the midterm elections and you wanted to use AI, all you needed to do was get detailed information on US citizens,” Hinton says in “Musk.” “And what DOGE did looked like just what you would do.”
Personal Life, Children, and Refused NDA Terms
Shifting focus to Musk’s personal life, the film addresses his family, noting that 14 children are publicly known. Alongside interviews with his first wife, Justine, influencer Ashley St. Clair shares details about giving birth to one of his sons in 2024 after connecting through social media. According to St. Clair, Musk messaged her suggesting she should have more children and mentioned a desire for a “legion of children before the civil war.”
St. Clair claims that after their relationship ended, she was offered $15 million upfront and $100,000 per month over 21 years in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement, which she declined. Variety notes the documentary also touches upon alleged drug use involving ketamine, Ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms.
Did you know?
Because Elon Musk declined to participate in a traditional sit-down interview for the project, Gibney’s team trained an AI avatar on all available public interviews given by the mogul to provide commentary throughout the nearly four-hour runtime.
Subject and Team Reactions to the Film
Musk has openly criticized the project since its announcement in 2023, labeling it a “hit piece” on X, to which Gibney responded, “How would you know?” When Katie Miller, a former communications director for DOGE, called the documentary “fictional” and “a hit job by a self-obsessed Hollywood director,” Musk replied on X with a single word: “Exactly.” Business Insider reported that outreach to Musk for comment on the documentary went unanswered.
“Musk” is scheduled to open in theaters on October 16.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where did the documentary “Musk” premiere?
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 8.
Who directed “Musk”?
The documentary was directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney.
Did Elon Musk participate in the documentary?
No, Musk did not sit down for a traditional interview, though the filmmakers used an AI avatar trained on his past interviews to provide commentary.
What is the runtime of “Musk”?
The documentary has a runtime of nearly four hours (3 hours and 45 minutes).
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