Alex Gibney releases four-hour documentary examining Elon Musk

Director Alex Gibney has released a nearly four-hour documentary titled ‘Musk’, which examines the life, business empire, and political influence of Elon Musk. The film explores his trajectory from Silicon Valley to his leadership at Tesla and SpaceX, his acquisition of X (formerly Twitter), and his growing political ties, including his relationship with Donald Trump.

Musk declined to participate in the documentary and has publicly criticized Gibney, calling the project a ‘hit piece’ and using various insults on X. Because of his refusal to be interviewed, Gibney utilized an artificial intelligence avatar to recite Musk’s actual public statements. The film also addresses controversies such as Tesla’s driver-assistance systems and Musk’s alleged influence regarding the 2024 election.

The production faced several hurdles, including legal threats from Musk’s camp and difficulties securing paid advertisements on major social media platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, which flagged the content as political. The documentary premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is expanding to a nationwide theatrical release.