Director Alex Gibney says Elon Musk and Elizabeth Holmes share a unique trait

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Gibney drew explicit parallels between Musk and Holmes, despite the very different paths their companies have taken. Holmes, who soared to prominence in the 2010s with the promise that her company could perform hundreds of blood tests from just a few drops, is currently in prison for defrauding investors. Musk, on the other hand, continues to command headlines and attention as the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and more.

Gibney explained that both figures wielded the power of confidence to extraordinary effect, convincing investors and the public to buy into their visions even in the face of skepticism or seemingly impossible claims. "I think there is a similarity with Elizabeth Holmes," Gibney said. "What was rattling around in my head through this was 'confidence man.' Musk, like Holmes, was able, through force of confidence, to convince people of things that they knew not to be true. That became a superpower."

The comparison highlights a recurring theme in the tech industry, where the narrative and charisma of founders can sometimes outweigh the substance or feasibility of what is being promised. In Holmes’s case, the promises of Theranos did not stand up to scientific scrutiny, ultimately resulting in investor loss and criminal charges. For Musk, while some ventures have faced criticism and skepticism, others have resulted in world-changing innovations and massive financial returns.

Gibney, whose documentaries are known for peeling back the layers on enigmatic and controversial figures, argues that this "superpower" of narrative control and persuasive force has been both a key to rapid ascents and a source of risk for investors, customers, and employees alike. His latest work seeks to explore how much of Silicon Valley’s success and drama can be traced not just to technological breakthroughs, but to the compelling stories told by its most high-profile leaders.

The full interview with Gibney, published by Business Insider, delves deeper into the filmmaker's views on the dangers and potential of confidence as a driving force in tech, promising further insight into why figures like Musk and Holmes continue to capture public attention, inspire innovation, and, at times, court controversy and disaster.