A new four-hour documentary directed by Alex Gibney offers an extensive examination of Elon Musk, the South African-born entrepreneur whose ventures have significantly shaped technology sectors ranging from electric vehicles to space exploration. The film explores Musk’s complex persona, corporate achievements, controversies, and political alignments, providing insight into the man behind Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, and X (formerly Twitter).
Musk, currently the world’s wealthiest individual, is depicted as a figure of contradictions: simultaneously visionary and erratic, influential yet polarizing. His role in transforming the electric car industry with Tesla and advancing reusable rocket technology through SpaceX is recognized as groundbreaking. The documentary highlights, however, that many of Musk’s ambitious goals—such as colonizing Mars—remain largely aspirational, and that both Tesla and SpaceX have relied extensively on government subsidies and federal contracts.
The film traces Musk’s trajectory from his early ventures, including an online directory service and involvement in PayPal, through his rise as an icon of Silicon Valley innovation. It also covers more recent developments, such as his controversial tenure in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), where he oversaw staff reductions among revenue agents while allegedly mishandling sensitive data. Critics argue that this role undermined government revenue collection, widening the U.S. budget deficit.
Personal aspects of Musk’s life are explored through interviews with several individuals close to him, including ex-partners and family members. Former wife Justine Musk discusses the family’s tragic loss of a child to sudden infant death syndrome and criticizes Musk’s public handling of the event on social media. Musk’s father, Errol, describes Elon’s difficult upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa, where he experienced bullying. Another former partner characterizes Musk as a difficult and sometimes controlling figure, highlighting his intense focus on procreation and family networks, which reportedly resemble “compounds” designed to house extended kin.
The documentary also examines Musk’s political shifts, noting his early embrace by liberal circles and the Obama administration due to his purported commitment to sustainable energy. This goodwill eroded as Musk moved closer to former President Donald Trump and his allies, culminating in his 2024 appointment to the Doge unit. Gibney’s film presents this political realignment as emblematic of Musk’s broader transformation from celebrated tech innovator to controversial public figure aligned with populist and right-wing causes.
Although Musk himself does not participate in the documentary, Gibney incorporates a digital avatar to voice some of Musk’s public statements, a choice that has drawn mixed reactions for its artificiality. The film relies heavily on commentary from former colleagues, friends, and critics, framing Musk as a modern-day embodiment of the “charlatan capitalist” archetype found in 19th-century literature.
Overall, the documentary offers a multifaceted portrait of Elon Musk, exploring his technological ambitions, personal complexities, and political entanglements, while raising questions about his impact on innovation, governance, and society.