Gibney Says Musk Text Raised Starlink Surveillance Concerns
Alex Gibney said a text described by Ashley St. Clair is the most troubling revelation in his documentary “Musk.” Speaking at Variety Doc Dreams NYC in Manhattan on November 9, the filmmaker said St. Clair told him Musk had been sure Donald Trump won the 2024 election before that was publicly apparent. She showed Gibney a text that read, “I found an anomaly in the matrix, and I have 10,000 space lasers that help me understand this.” Gibney said he believed the reference was to Starlink.
Gibney stressed that he did not think Musk had changed votes. Instead, he said the text raised the possibility that Musk had found a way to intercept information from ballot locations before it became public, and that Starlink could serve as a tool for surveillance and control. Musk’s lawyer threatened to sue over the issue, Gibney said.
Gibney also said Musk’s support for Trump was motivated primarily by investigations into Musk and Tesla. He cited what he described as about 32 investigations by 11 federal agencies, including a criminal fraud investigation at Tesla, and said Musk saw an opportunity to end them by helping elect Trump. He also acknowledged other explanations discussed in the film, including Musk’s daughter and disputes over Covid regulations and a perceived snub by President Joe Biden.
Musk criticized the documentary on X, accusing Gibney of assembling people with grudges and calling the filmmaker a “horrible human.” Gibney said he saw similarities between Trump and Musk, including their ability to shape their public images. “Musk” is available to rent or buy digitally after a two-week theatrical run.
Gibney’s Starlink Warning Raises Stakes of Musk’s Trump Alliance
A text described by Ashley St. Clair has sharpened questions about the reach of Elon Musk’s technology and his political influence. At Variety Doc Dreams NYC in Manhattan on November 9, filmmaker Alex Gibney said St. Clair told him Musk knew Donald Trump had won the 2024 election before that was publicly apparent. Gibney said she showed him a text referring to “10,000 space lasers,” which he understood as a reference to Starlink.
Gibney said he did not believe Musk switched votes. But he said the message suggested Musk might have accessed reports from ballot locations ahead of their public release, and warned that Starlink could be used for surveillance as well as communication. Musk’s lawyer threatened to sue over the subject, Gibney said.
The documentary also examines Musk’s backing of Trump. Gibney said he believed Musk’s primary motive was a chance to end investigations involving him and Tesla. He cited about 32 investigations by 11 federal agencies, including a criminal fraud investigation at Tesla. Other explanations discussed in the film included Musk’s daughter and disputes over Covid rules and a perceived snub by President Joe Biden.
Musk attacked the documentary on X, saying Gibney had gathered people with grudges and calling the director a “horrible human.” But the claims at the center of Gibney’s account put a consequential question in view: whether a powerful communications network can also give its owner access to politically sensitive information. Gibney said he did not believe the text meant votes were changed.
Gibney’s Starlink Claims Rest on a Text and His Own Interpretation
Alex Gibney is using an ambiguous text to cast suspicion on Elon Musk and Starlink, while acknowledging he does not believe Musk changed votes in the 2024 election. At Variety Doc Dreams NYC in Manhattan on November 9, the filmmaker said Ashley St. Clair showed him a message in which Musk referred to an “anomaly in the matrix” and “10,000 space lasers.” Gibney said he took that as a reference to Starlink.
Gibney said the text suggested Musk may have received information from ballot locations before it was publicly available. That is his interpretation; he also said he did not believe the message meant votes were switched. Musk’s lawyer threatened to sue over the issue, Gibney said.
The director’s wider case is that Musk supported Donald Trump to protect himself from investigations. Gibney cited about 32 investigations by 11 federal agencies, including a criminal fraud investigation involving Tesla, and said he believed Musk saw Trump’s election as a way to end them. The film also presents other proposed explanations, including Musk’s daughter and disputes involving Covid regulations and a perceived snub by Joe Biden.
Musk responded on X by accusing Gibney of relying on people with grudges and calling him a “horrible human.” The allegations deserve scrutiny, but Gibney’s own account distinguishes a suspicion about early access to election information from any claim that Musk altered votes. “Musk” is available digitally after a two-week theatrical run.
Reported by Variety, The Daily Beast.
