A nearly four-hour-long documentary on Elon Musk has put the spotlight on the billionaire's extraordinary rise, sprawling business empire and growing political influence. Titled 'Musk', the documentary is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, who traces Musk's journey from the dotcom boom in Silicon Valley to his leadership of Tesla and SpaceX, his $44-billion acquisition of Twitter, now X, and his increasingly influential role in US politics.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month and has since drawn significant attention for its critical examination of how Musk accumulated enormous influence across technology, social media and government. It is now also screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Gibney originally envisioned a much shorter documentary. He began working on the project in 2023, but the film expanded dramatically as Musk became increasingly involved with Donald Trump and US government affairs.
Musk's rise and growing power
The documentary charts Musk's early years in Silicon Valley, his involvement with PayPal and his emergence as one of the world's most powerful technology entrepreneurs. It then follows his rise at Tesla and SpaceX, his acquisition of Twitter and his transformation of the platform into X.
However, Gibney's focus extends beyond Musk's companies. The film asks how an unelected businessman came to wield such enormous influence over public debate, political movements and government policy.
It also examines Musk's relationship with Trump, his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), his political activity in the US and his growing support for right-wing causes internationally. Gibney has described the film as an examination of absolute power and whether power changes a person or simply reveals who they already were.
"I hope it's the beginning of the discussion for all of us, not only citizens in the United States, but citizens of the world, to begin to take back power from these tech oligarchs who seem to be desirous of running the world for themselves," Gibney said.
Musk did not participate
Musk declined Gibney's request for an interview, leaving the filmmaker to build the documentary around interviews with people who have known or worked with him, as well as journalists and other observers.
Those featured include Musk's father, Errol Musk; Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard, his former wife, Justine Musk; journalist Kara Swisher; tech reporter Zoë Schiffer; and Ashley St. Clair, Musk's former partner and the mother of one of his children.
The film also delves into Musk's childhood and personal relationships, alongside his business decisions and political evolution.
An AI-generated Musk appears in the film
One of the documentary's most unusual elements is a digitally created version of Musk.
Because the billionaire did not agree to appear, Gibney's team created a simulated Musk using a CGI avatar and AI-generated voice technology. The avatar delivers words based on statements Musk has actually made publicly, allowing the filmmakers to stage a stylised version of an interview with him. Gibney has said the device was deliberately ironic, given Musk's long-standing interest in artificial intelligence and his comments about humanity potentially living inside a simulation.
Musk threatens legal action
The documentary has also triggered a legal dispute even before its wider release. Musk's lawyers sent the filmmakers a formal legal notice accusing the documentary of defaming him. Musk has separately criticised the film, describing it as false, and threatened legal action against Gibney.
Meanwhile, Gibney has defended the project, saying the production underwent extensive fact-checking and legal review. He has also said that Musk's absence from the documentary did not prevent the filmmakers from examining his public record and interviewing people from different parts of his life and career.
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