Elon Musk is reportedly initiating legal proceedings against a documentary about him following its highly anticipated premiere this week, publicly criticizing director Alex Gibney as a “terrible person” on social platforms. The world’s wealthiest individual is the focal point of Gibney’s film titled Musk, which was showcased at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday to a standing ovation lasting five minutes. Reviewers describe the nearly four-hour-long documentary as a penetrating exploration of a figure who has established a reputation as a far-right instigator and leader of a multi-billion-dollar tech conglomerate by spearheading various companies, making ever-changing technological pledges, and aligning himself with influential personalities such as former U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to The Guardian and Deadline, the film has been hailed as an “epic study” of the richest and most mundane man globally, portraying Musk as “vindictive, egotistical, megalomaniacal, heartless, emotionally distant in personal relationships (including with multiple ex-partners and several children), all while professing a desire to safeguard humanity through Mars colonization.” The documentary will premiere in Canada at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14. Musk had initially labeled the project a “hit job” when it was announced in 2023, a sentiment he has reiterated on social media multiple times in the past week.
Since the debut, Elon Musk has engaged in a flurry of responses on X, echoing supporters’ criticism of the documentary, deeming the film “uninteresting,” and asserting that Gibney lacks credibility and is a “bitter elderly individual who has lost his way.” Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, has sent a formal legal notice to the production, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, warning of potential legal action unless the production verifies its facts with knowledgeable sources. Jigsaw Productions, the film’s production company, defended the documentary’s accuracy in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, emphasizing Musk’s obligation to support the examination of influential figures in the spirit of free speech.
CBC News attempted to contact Spiro and Jigsaw Productions for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. The film chronicles Musk’s journey from his upbringing in South Africa to his ascension through ventures like Zip2 and PayPal, culminating in Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, X, and his endeavors in artificial intelligence, while delving into his association with Trump and disruptive tenure within the Department of Government Efficiency, where he played a role in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, a move linked to a significant death toll worldwide, as per researchers.
The documentary notably scrutinizes Tesla’s safety assertions regarding its autonomous driving technology, examining legal disputes and Musk’s changing claims about the technology’s capabilities and safety throughout his pursuit of a fully self-driving vehicle. Key figures interviewed in the film include Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard, Musk’s first wife Justine Musk, former friend and neuroscientist Sam Harris, tech journalist Kara Swisher, and former USAID administrator Samantha Power. Ashley St. Clair, a former conservative influencer and Musk’s ex-partner, is also featured, revealing that she was allegedly offered $40 million to sign a non-disclosure agreement and abstain from participating in the documentary.
In response to a TMZ report on the purported NDA offer, Musk refuted the claims, denying ever proposing money to St. Clair and asserting that she has a history of making false allegations. The film also addresses Musk’s control over X and what Gibney describes as algorithm manipulation. WIRED reporter Zoe Schiffer, another participant in the documentary, highlighted at a pre-premiere press conference that Musk had “adjusted the algorithm” in favor of “more provocative comments and voices” on the platform. St. Clair expressed concerns at the same event, suggesting that Musk is fostering conflict and “intentionally sowing discord that could have dire consequences if left unchecked.”
The documentary’s North American theatrical release is scheduled for October 16 in select cinemas, with a broader rollout following on October 23.
