If you thought the Elon Musk story couldn’t get any weirder, a nearly four-hour documentary from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney is here to test that theory.

The film, simply titled Musk, premiered this week at the Venice Film Festival—and it’s already generating headlines for its claims about the billionaire’s private life, his business empire, and his growing political influence. It’s described by early reviewers as everything from a “chillingly forensic hatchet job” to a “nonfiction horror movie.”

Here’s what you need to know.

The Basics

Musk is directed by Alex Gibney, the filmmaker behind hard-hitting documentaries about WikiLeaks, Enron, and Lance Armstrong. The film runs almost four hours, with a 10-minute intermission, and is set for a cinema release on October 16, followed by an international streaming debut on HBO.

Musk refused to be interviewed for the project. Instead, Gibney uses an AI-generated avatar of Musk—built from thousands of hours of his public interviews—to deliver some of his statements on screen. The film also includes animated sequences, including one where a cartoon Musk fires a weapon and holds up a chainsaw, a nod to the real-life chainsaw gifted to him by Argentine President Javier Milei.

Musk has publicly dismissed Gibney as a derogatory term on X and later called the documentary a “hit piece” that is “four hours long and boring.”

The “Legion of Children” Claim

The documentary’s most talked-about moment comes from Ashley St. Clair, a former conservative influencer and the mother of one of Musk’s children.

According to the film, St. Clair claims Musk sent her a text saying he wanted to have a child with her because he needed “a legion of children before the civil war.” She also alleges that Musk’s team offered her $40 million and a monthly stipend of $100,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement. She says she refused, and the offer was withdrawn.

Musk has denied the claim, writing on X that she “was never offered that and has a history of making false claims.”

The documentary says Musk has 14 publicly known children, though it suggests there could be more. His first wife, Justine, reportedly refers to the women he has children with as “the breeders.” The film also examines his strained relationship with his daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, who changed her name and gender, and his relationship with his son X, whom he reportedly steers away from the child’s mother, Grimes.

Business, Power, and “Stock Pumping”

The film doesn’t stop at Musk’s personal life. Gibney turns a critical eye on Musk’s business record, arguing that his true genius lies not in invention but in “stock pumping”—driving up share prices and using that wealth to accumulate power.

The documentary also revisits lawsuits and fatal crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot system, questioning how Musk has managed to avoid more serious consequences.

Politics and the Power of X

The second half of Musk focuses heavily on his acquisition of Twitter—now X—and his increasingly vocal political role. The film examines his support for Donald Trump and his amplification of far-right figures and conspiracy theories.

St. Clair warns in the documentary that Musk’s activity on X is “stoking flames that don’t exist in the real world” and causing deliberate division. She describes him as “a nuclear bomb.”

Childhood Trauma and a Dark Worldview

Gibney also digs into Musk’s childhood in South Africa, including his complicated relationship with his father, Errol. The director suggested at Venice that Musk’s obsession with civilization collapse may stem from childhood trauma.

“In some ways, he’s now projecting his childhood trauma onto all of us,” Gibney said.

How It’s Being Received

Early reviews have been largely strong. Variety called it a “sharp and important work.” The Telegraph gave it four stars and described it as a “chillingly forensic” portrait. Even critics who found the AI avatar gimmicky praised the film’s use of archival footage and interviews.

Musk, for his part, isn’t a fan.

Why It Matters

Musk isn’t just a celebrity profile. It’s a film about how one man accumulated extraordinary power over technology, media, politics, and space—and why so many people let him.

As Gibney frames it, the real question isn’t just who Elon Musk is. It’s what his rise says about the rest of us.

Tags: Elon Musk, Alex Gibney, Venice Film Festival, Documentary, Tesla, X, AI, Ashley St. Clair