Elon Musk's Ex-Wife Justine Says He 'Thrives on Chaos' and Can 'Invent a Parachute'

Justine Musk says Elon Musk 'thrives on chaos' and approaches challenges with intense urgency, according to a teaser posted Tuesday, 6 October, for her interview with journalist Kara Swisher and filmmaker Alex Gibney.

The conversation promotes Gibney's documentary MUSK, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September. The film is scheduled to open in select US cinemas on 9 October before a wider rollout on 16 October.

'I once described him as somebody who can, like, jump off the edge of a cliff and, you know, invent a parachute on the way down,' Justine told Swisher about her former husband. 'Like, I think he thrives on chaos.'

Justine used the metaphor to describe what she sees as Musk's comfort with risk, pressure and rapidly changing circumstances. Her remarks reflect her personal experience and do not independently establish Musk's motives or state of mind.

Elon Musk's 'Life and Death' Intensity

'Everything is life and death,' Justine said. 'And I think he really lives like that. He really lives with that pitch of intensity.'

Her account resembles some descriptions previously given by people who worked inside xAI, although those employee accounts remain separate from Justine's assessment of her former husband.

Current and former xAI employees told Business Insider that Musk's growing involvement in the company brought abrupt shifts in priorities, intensive 'war rooms' and a group chat involving more than 300 engineers.

Researchers sometimes interrupted ongoing work to address concerns Musk raised, according to employees interviewed by the publication. 'Because the company is so small, everything is a fire drill,' one former worker told Business Insider.

The accounts describe a workplace marked by rapid priority changes and urgent responses to Musk's concerns. They do not prove that Justine's description applies across his businesses or establish why Musk makes particular management decisions.

Musk Defends Changes at xAI

xAI is now owned by SpaceX following an acquisition announced in February 2026. Musk remains Tesla's chief executive and SpaceX's founder and chief executive.

Musk has defended changes at xAI, arguing that the company's organisation needed to evolve as it grew and that a leaner structure could help it succeed.

His record at Twitter, now known as X, also shows rapid corporate restructuring. Musk sharply reduced the company's workforce after completing his takeover in 2022.

In a 2023 CNBC interview, Musk acknowledged that some people dismissed from Twitter 'probably shouldn't have been let go'.

That statement shows Musk later reconsidered at least some of the dismissals. It does not establish a wider explanation for his approach to running companies.

Musk's Intensity Can Look 'A Lot Like Excitement': Justine

Justine also said Musk's intensity can pull people in before they recognise what is happening around them.

'He brings it with him, and he has a way of sucking you into it, and at first it can look a lot like excitement,' she said. 'I always assume that there's a method to his madness, you know, a lot of sleight of hand sometimes.'

Her remarks remain a personal assessment. They should not be treated as independent findings about Musk's personality, intentions or leadership style.

Gibney's MUSK has already faced criticism from Musk himself. He has publicly dismissed the documentary as a 'hit piece' and criticised Gibney's credibility.

Those comments, however, came before the latest interview teaser and did not specifically address Justine's remarks. The Business Insider report containing her comments also did not include a direct response from Musk to what she said.

The film's US theatrical rollout has drawn fresh attention to Gibney's examination of Musk and to accounts from people who have experienced his leadership or personal intensity firsthand.

Justine's description also offers a striking comparison with accounts from xAI employees who have spoken about rapidly changing priorities and 'fire drill' conditions. The similarities are notable, but they remain separate accounts rather than proof of a single explanation for Musk's behaviour.

What Justine is prepared to say is more specific. In her experience, Musk embraces an unusually intense environment, one that she believes can initially resemble excitement before people realise just how deeply they have been drawn into it.