TORONTO - The filmmaker Alex Gibney has expressed surprise at the backlash he has received from Elon Musk concerning his new documentary. The film, which is being showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival, explores Musk's significant influence stemming from his ventures with SpaceX and Tesla. It raises critical questions about Musk's ultimate objectives as a billionaire entrepreneur.
Over the past week, Musk has publicly criticized Gibney, labeling him "a horrible human," "lacking integrity," and "a bitter old man who lost the plot long ago" on the social media platform X. Gibney responded to these remarks by suggesting that Musk's threats of legal action are inconsistent with his self-proclaimed status as a "free-speech absolutist." Gibney remarked, "He’s sort of lost his (expletive) and threatened to sue, which is not what I’d expect from a free-speech absolutist, as he calls himself."
During an interview preceding a press screening of the nearly four-hour documentary titled "Musk," which is set to debut to the public on Monday, Gibney emphasized the extensive research and fact-checking that went into the project. He stated, "Every documentary I do is thoroughly vetted, and this one was even more thoroughly vetted than usual, where we checked our own facts a lot." Gibney has previously tackled other high-profile figures like the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and disgraced entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes.
Gibney asserted that they employed robust sources for nearly every aspect of the film, noting that independent fact-checkers reviewed the content line by line, alongside input from legal experts. "We have deep sourcing and multiple sourcing on virtually everything in the film," he remarked. He also indicated that much information drawn from interviews and research did not make it into the final cut of the documentary.
The documentary features contributions from Musk's father, Errol Musk, his first wife Justine Musk, and his ex-partner Ashley St. Clair, with whom he shares a child. Notable appearances also include British-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as the "godfather of artificial intelligence," as well as previous business partners of Musk and journalists who have closely followed his journey.
This is not the first instance of Musk publicly criticizing Gibney. Prior to the documentary's completion, Musk had already branded it a "hit piece" on X. In response, Gibney questioned, "How would you know?"
As the premiere approaches on September 13, 2026, the tension between the filmmaker and the billionaire entrepreneur highlights the intricate dynamics of media representation and the scrutiny that comes with immense power wielded by figures like Musk.
