Elon Musk Ex Ashley St Clair Rejects $40M Deal To Join Film Asking 'Why Offer Me This to Not Speak'

Ashley St. Clair, Elon Musk's former partner, has revealed that she rejected an alleged $40 million non-disclosure agreement that would have prevented her from speaking publicly about the billionaire.

St. Clair made the revelation at the Venice Film Festival while promoting filmmaker Alex Gibney's new documentary Musk, in which she appears extensively. She said the enormous sum made her question why Musk's representatives were willing to pay so much for her silence.

Ashley St. Clair Says She Was Offered $40 Million

Speaking to reporters in Venice, St. Clair described the alleged proposal as an 'opportunity not to speak for $40 million,' or approximately £29.5 million.

The former conservative influencer said the offer immediately made her consider the value of having the freedom to tell her own story.

'When you're offered something like that, it really causes a debate in your head about what your speech means and how valuable that is and why do they want to offer me this amount of money to not speak?' she said.

St. Clair ultimately decided not to accept the proposed arrangement, allowing her to participate in Gibney's documentary and discuss her experiences with Musk publicly.

The $40 million figure (£29.5 million) has previously been described by St. Clair as an arrangement involving $15 million upfront (£11 million), followed by monthly payments of $100,000 (£74,000) over 20 years. However, the details remain based on her account of the alleged proposal.

The Alleged NDA Came After the Birth of Musk's Child

St. Clair and Musk share a son, Romulus, and their relationship has since become the subject of a highly publicised custody dispute.

St. Clair previously discussed the alleged NDA during a June appearance on Don Lemon's show. According to her account, Musk initially sent a message instructing his associate Jared Birchall to arrange $15 million (£11 million) for a home and reserve capital.

She said the situation subsequently developed into discussions about an NDA.

St. Clair claimed she ultimately told Birchall that she could not 'in good conscience' sign the agreement.

The alleged arrangement has not been independently established through the release of a signed agreement, and representatives for Musk and Birchall did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Why Did St. Clair Choose To Speak Out?

St. Clair said her decision was motivated partly by her children and the example she wants to set for them.

'I think, most importantly, I want to set the example for my kids that you should never take being materially comfortable over speaking the truth,' she said.

She also acknowledged her own political past during the Venice appearance.

St. Clair was previously known as a conservative and right-wing commentator and has since expressed regret over some of the views she promoted. She said her previous 'ignorance' did not excuse her role in promoting those beliefs and argued that speaking publicly now was part of trying to challenge them.

Ashley St. Clair Appears in Alex Gibney's 'Musk'

St. Clair is one of several people close to Musk featured in Gibney's nearly four-hour documentary.

The film explores Musk's personal life, business empire, political activities and growing influence over social media following his acquisition of Twitter, now known as X.

Musk did not participate in the documentary. Gibney said he initially attempted to interview him but was ultimately unable to secure his involvement. Musk has previously criticised the project, reportedly calling it a 'hit piece' and describing Gibney as biased.

The filmmaker said the project expanded considerably as Musk became increasingly involved in US politics and the administration of Donald Trump.

'Why Do They Want to Offer Me This Amount of Money?'

St. Clair's decision to reject the alleged deal has become one of the most talked-about revelations surrounding the documentary.

Her comments also raise broader questions about the power that wealthy individuals can have when attempting to control private information and public narratives.

For St. Clair, however, the decision ultimately came down to whether financial security was worth giving up her ability to speak.

By turning down the alleged $40 million (£29.5 million) arrangement, she has instead chosen to tell her story through one of the year's most closely watched documentaries, while insisting that the example she sets for her children matters more than the money she could have received.