Nanjiani Says Musk Was Upset By HBO’s Portrayal Of Tech Parties

Photo: Instagram

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Elon Musk wasn’t exactly a fan of HBO’s hit comedy “Silicon Valley,” and according to star Kumail Nanjiani, the tech billionaire made sure to let him know. 

The actor and comedian recently shared the candid exchange on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast, revealing a moment that perfectly captured the divide between the show’s satirical world and the high-flying reality of tech’s elite.

Nanjiani, who played programmer Dinesh Chugtai on the show, recounted how he once met the Tesla and SpaceX CEO and the latter wasted no time in offering his critique. “He didn’t like the show,” Nanjiani said, explaining that Musk was particularly “upset” with a party scene from the series’ 2014 pilot. In the scene, a posh tech party is portrayed with Kid Rock performing to a bored and inattentive crowd of “seven nerdy dudes.”

Nanjiani said Musk’s main complaint was simple: “Well, the parties I go to are much cooler than these parties.”

Nanjiani’s reaction was a mix of amusement and a dose of reality. He immediately thought, “Yeah, man. You’re one of the richest people in the world. We’re, like, losers on the show. Of course, your parties are better than my parties. What are you talking about?” The show, which ran for six seasons, was a comedy that parodied the tech industry’s culture and personalities, and Nanjiani noted it wasn’t intended as a documentary.

The real-life parties Musk is rumored to attend do sound much more extravagant than anything shown in the series. A 2024 report by The Wall Street Journal cited multiple sources who claimed to have direct knowledge of Musk recreationally using various drugs, including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms, often at exclusive parties. Musk has publicly and thoroughly denied these specific allegations, though he has been open about using ketamine for therapeutic purposes under the guidance of doctors.