Errol Musk, Elon Musk’s father, is one of the people interviewed in Alex Gibney’s documentary “Musk,” which expanded to theaters nationwide in the U.S. on Friday, October 16. In his interview he describes Elon’s childhood as unstable and violent, and it ends with a warning from Errol: “Do not bet against Elon. You’re going to lose.” Elon did not take part in the film.
What Errol says
Errol says Elon was often bullied at school and was once beaten so badly that his face was unrecognizable. He also recalls a moment when a friend dropped dead in front of them while Elon kept reading his comic book. Only one account we found quotes his interview, so these details are Errol’s version of events and we have not checked them against other sources.
About the film
The film runs about four hours and is directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and Bleecker Street is releasing it in U.S. theaters. Elon declined to sit down, so the film uses a computer-generated version of him. Gibney has said Errol agreed to take part right away, while other subjects took a lot of persuasion. Others on camera include Elon’s first wife, Justine Musk, and AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton.
How Elon has responded
Elon has called the film a hit piece and has attacked Gibney personally in posts on X. We covered the fight over its ads in Gibney’s Musk Film Goes Nationwide After Ad Fights and Insults, and our first look at Errol’s role is in Errol Musk Appears in the New Musk Documentary.
Our take: Errol is one voice with a personal stake in the story, and his account of Elon’s childhood is his own. The line that will travel is the closing warning, because it is a short, quotable bet on his son’s future. The film is long, and one interview does not show how it treats the rest of the family.
