Alex Gibney’s documentary Musk examines government investigations into Elon Musk’s business practices, his political influence and his support for Donald Trump and other Republican candidates. As the United States Congress appears poised for a possible Democratic majority, Gibney is questioning whether lawmakers will renew scrutiny of Musk’s companies and political activities despite his enormous financial resources.
Gibney questions the prospects for congressional investigations
“Assuming Democrats win the House and the Senate, can our political system ignore the power of money and really conduct tough investigations?” Gibney asked WIRED contributing editor Zoe Schiffer after a screening of Musk at the WIRED World Fair, shortly before many major congressional races were called for Democrats.
The documentary examines multiple investigations by US government agencies into Musk. Gibney presents those investigations as part of the context for Musk’s support for Donald Trump and other Republican candidates in recent years.
Gibney said Musk had donated more than $474 million to Republican political organizations during the election cycle. “Last time I looked, things didn’t seem to be going Elon’s way, especially in Texas,” he said.
Musk’s political spending in Texas
Shortly afterward, James Tarico was declared the winner of the Senate race and Gina Hinojosa was elected governor, becoming one of the first Democrats to win a statewide election in Texas in more than 30 years. Musk, who has maintained close ties with Texas political figures, had donated at least $158 million to a super PAC supporting Tarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“Musk has an insane amount of money right now, so dropping $500 million in the election doesn’t mean anything to him,” Gibney said. Much of Musk’s wealth, however, is tied to his companies’ stock. “The question is, what happens if that stock starts to fall?”
Interviews and a simulated Musk
While making Musk, Gibney interviewed technology entrepreneurs, former employees, Musk’s former spouse Justin Wilson and his former girlfriend Ashley St. Clair. The film also features an interview between Schiffer and WIRED Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond.
Musk declined to participate in an interview for the documentary. Gibney’s team instead used Musk’s previous public comments to create a simulated version of him, combining real quotations with a tanned, chiseled avatar wearing a leather jacket.
On X, Musk denounced the documentary as a “hit piece.” In September, Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, sent a letter to Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions threatening to file a defamation lawsuit before the film’s release.
Release plans and trailer promotion
The rollout of Musk has also faced complications. In early October, independent film distributor Bleecker Street, which owns the film’s domestic theatrical release rights, moved up the release date by a week after strong festival reviews.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, YouTube, TikTok and Meta initially refused to promote the film’s trailer ahead of its debut. X did not promote the trailer at all.
Musk will be available to rent or purchase from November 6, after which it will no longer be shown in theaters.
Source: www.wired.com