Former partner of Elon Musk declines $40 million NDA to appear in new documentary

Ashley St. Clair, who gave birth to Elon Musk’s thirteenth child last year, refused a reported $40 million non-disclosure agreement so she could be interviewed for Alex Gibney’s documentary "Musk," which will debut at the Venice Film Festival.

"When you are offered something like that, it creates a debate about what your speech means and how valuable that is. Why do they want to offer me this amount of money to not speak?" St. Clair told reporters at the press conference.

She said she participated to demonstrate to her children that material comfort should not outweigh speaking the truth. St. Clair, a former right-wing commentator who now regrets her earlier political advocacy, added that she hopes her decision to speak out will have a positive impact.

Gibney, an Oscar-winning filmmaker, said many potential interviewees declined to talk about Musk, describing a pervasive fear among critics, colleagues and friends. The documentary, nearly four hours long, examines Musk’s influence and includes commentary from tech journalist Zoë Schiffer.

Musk did not take part in the film and has previously referred to it as a "hit piece." Gibney characterized Musk as lacking empathy, a view echoed by St. Clair, who said the billionaire consciously avoids putting himself in others' shoes.