Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, along with other members of the “PayPal Mafia,” including David O. Sacks, were involved in producing the 2005 satirical film Thank You for Smoking. The film, based on the novel by Christopher Buckley, skewers the lobbying industry and explores the moral flexibility of those who represent controversial industries like Big Tobacco.

Their involvement in the film was driven by several factors. David O. Sacks, a former COO of PayPal, spearheaded the project, seeing an opportunity to finance an independent film with a sharp political edge. Sacks related to the themes of the story and decided to personally finance most of its $8.5 million budget. Musk and Thiel, as fellow tech entrepreneurs and colleagues from PayPal, were executive producers. Their involvement in the film fits with their interest in backing provocative projects that question societal norms and the role of institutions, such as lobbying, the media, and government hypocrisy.

For Musk and Thiel, the film’s critique of political and corporate spin likely resonated with their own views on the shortcomings of institutional power. The film’s irreverent take on how money influences everything in modern life aligns with Musk’s and Thiel’s own skepticism toward established systems and their belief in individualism over institutional control.

Their support for the movie illustrates their interest in using cultural projects to challenge conventional narratives oai_citation:3,What you can learn about Elon Musk from the movie he made 20 years ago oai_citation:2,David O. Sacks – Wikipedia oai_citation:1,What you can learn about Elon Musk from the movie he made 20 years ago.