Documentarian Alex Gibney Discusses New Elon Musk Film and Legal Hurdles at Variety Festival

Filmmaker Alex Gibney revealed new details about his upcoming documentary "Musk" during an appearance at Variety's Doc Dreams NYC event at Firehouse Cinema in downtown Manhattan. Speaking with Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh, Gibney explained that he started production on the nearly four-hour film in 2022 before tech and financial power merged with political power.

The Motive Behind Trump Support

Gibney stated that while various theories exist regarding Elon Musk's political shift—including his relationship with his trans daughter Vivian Wilson or his frustration with Covid regulations and a snub from Joe Biden—the primary reason for backing Donald Trump was legal self-preservation. The director claimed Musk faced roughly 32 investigations by 11 federal agencies, including a criminal probe into fraud at Tesla that could have brought a prison sentence. Gibney suggested Musk viewed supporting Trump as a way to clear those investigations.

Starlink Claims

Another revelation in the documentary comes from former far-right pundit Ashley St. Clair, who mothered one of Musk's children. Gibney noted that Musk's lawyer threatened to sue over the claim. According to texts shown by St. Clair, Musk believed Trump had won the 2024 election long before official results because he supposedly found an "anomaly in the matrix" using "10,000 space lasers," a reference pointing to Starlink. Gibney believes this indicated Starlink was used to intercept reporting signals from ballot places rather than alter votes directly.

Context

Alex Gibney is an Oscar-winning documentarian known for tackling high-profile investigative subjects, including past films on corporate scandals and public figures. Events like Variety Doc Dreams showcase upcoming non-fiction features competing for industry awards while offering filmmakers a platform to discuss their investigative process.