Elon Musk has threatened to sue the creators of a brand-new documentary about his career because he thinks the film contains false allegations that hurt his status. The warning comes just before its American debut and puts the business, director Alex Gibney, and the businesses involved in its launch at the center of controversy.
The fight began after the magnate's attorney, Alex Spiro, wrote a letter to Jigsaw Productions, the organization behind the film Musk, on September 3. The lawyer in the text argues that the venture started from a recently formulated conclusion about the investor and asks how Gibney created the story.
The artists also acknowledged that they had the opportunity to evaluate their assertions with Musk and those around him, but that they had turned down those claims before the film's release.
The scope of the legitimate notice does not include Jigsaw Productions and Gibney. Additionally, it puts stress on different companies, including Universal, Bleecker Street, and HBO.
Starlink and the 2024 U. S. presidential election are two of the factors that caused Musk's response.
A collection in the video, according to the billionaire's attorney, suggests that Musk may have been aware of Donald Trump's victory from the start of the election day because of the alleged use of Starlink observatories to influence the outcome.
This variant is refuted by Spirito and professes that it is a fake insinuation. He asserts that producers were informed before the movie was released that there was any public information that may support it.
Because Muskined a close relation with Donald Trump and became one of his principal political allies, the situation is particularly vulnerable. His presence in state affairs in 2025 even piqued people's curiosity in his influence.
Jigsaw Productions responded to the accusations and supported the artists ' efforts. The First Amendment of the United States, which guarantees freedom of expression and hit, protects people who have huge economic and political power, according to the company.
Additionally, Musk has been accused of being an "absolutist of freedom of expression" in public, according to the makers. With that argument, the business asserted that the investor should also be subject to scrutiny when a editorial analysis questions his choices or career path.
Despite the notice from Musk's legal team, the filmmakers are still making their premier plans.
The generation lasts about four hours and covers a large portion of the businessman's life, from his early years in South Africa to his rise to fame as one of the richest and most powerful people in the world.
Gibney discusses his early ages as a technology investor and his transition through Silicon Valley as online businesses gained popularity. Therefore, the story shifts to its stake in Tesla and SpaceX and its large business bets.
Additionally, the film addresses Musk's private life, his early associations with various women, his family, and the 14 kids he has known.
Since Musk did not give an interview for the manufacturing, Gibney resorted to claims made by the business for decades in discussions, conferences, and public looks.
In some instances, the movie also uses a digital representation of Musk to signify the entrepreneur.
The movie also examines how Musk transitioned from a tech investor to a figure with a far-reaching impact beyond his own companies.
One of the chapters discusses his transition through the Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ) and his involvement in the Trump Administration in 2025.
Gibney pays particular attention to questions relating to the government's ability to access sensitive data and what it might mean for someone with significant business and political objectives to have access to a lot of data.
Geoffrey Hinton, one of the most renowned experts in artificial intelligence, is one of the interviewees. Hinton discusses the dangers that the use of AI tools in social and political processes and the access to comprehensive information about Americans might present.
For Gibney, Musk's account addresses a bigger issue: the shifting balance between political power, technology, and money in the hands of people with huge influence over society.
Musk used X, the businessman's social system, for several days to criticize the producer and question the documentary's information.
The businessman described the production as a "flash-of-the-shot" attack and as a fictitious emotional operation.
In another papers, Musk publicly criticized Gibney and shared information about him in relation to political and business numbers.
The investor's response ultimately led to an even greater increase in the film's popularity before it even started to appear in theaters.
The author's occupation is also influenced by the conflict between Musk and Gibney. In addition to investigating cases involving corruption, abuse of power, and social conflicts, Gibney has produced documentaries about huge corporations, governments, and institutions.
Productions on Enron, the Church of Scientology, and the Israeli-Iranian eavesdropping procedures are among his other works.
Additionally, he directed Taxi to the Dark Side, a film that won the Oscar for Best Documentary for its investigation into the questioning practices of the U. S. Army in Afghanistan.
The director stated that there were similarities between Musk's story and those in other cases he had formerly looked into, particularly in terms of how much money, power, and influence are related.
Musk received a protracted people ovation and beneficial criticism from different specialized media outlets after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The movie was described as a difficult photograph of the business, while Deadline highlighted Gibney's important approach to telling the story.
The video will be released in American theaters on October 16 and then be accessible on HBO Max.
