Movies

Meet the Real-Life Tech Titans Behind Jesse Armstrong’s ‘Mountainhead’!

BBG News

Jesse Armstrong has a knack for creating fictional stories based on real-life events. For example, his hit TV show Succession was influenced by actual media empires such as the Murdochs and the Hearsts. In a similar vein, his upcoming film Mountainhead revolves around characters who possess characteristics reminiscent of prominent figures in the tech industry, like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, among others.

The series titled “Mountainhead” premieres on HBO at 8 p.m. ET on May 31. It follows the story of four prominent tech executives who seek refuge in a Utah retreat when AI deepfake technology from one of their companies causes chaos globally, instigating hate crimes and violence via social media and real life. As they contemplate global governmental seizure, space exploration, and achieving immortality amidst this turmoil, internal disputes disrupt their grand schemes.

Armstrong shares with TIME in a Zoom conversation that his curiosity about writing a story on tech magnates was sparked by books such as Michael Lewis’ “Going Infinite” and Ashlee Vance’s “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future,” along with journalistic portraits of Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and others. He structured his narrative around the interaction between four character types – the patriarch, the workhorse, the upstart, and the follower, and undertook extensive investigations to ensure that his fictional CEOs mirrored their real-life counterparts. According to him, these characters aren’t direct copies but “Frankenstein’s monsters, pieced together.

These characters exhibit significant flaws and cause harm, undeniably. However, Armstrong emphasizes that his intention wasn’t to create a completely pessimistic portrayal of tech innovators and artificial intelligence advancements in the film. He admits that while he tries to remain objective, his understanding of technology’s potential impact on society inevitably shapes the work. He acknowledges that he may harbor certain concerns about these developments.

Armstrong argues that the movie seems to be reflecting apprehensions about AI that even its leaders have voiced concerns over. He states, “If someone who is the most knowledgeable in the world about this technology estimates a 20% chance it could destroy humanity – and they’re considered optimists – I believe that’s a very unsettling thought.

As a cinephile diving into the captivating world of “Mountainhead”, I can’t help but draw parallels between its intriguing characters and some renowned real-life tech titans. Please be warned, there may be some spoilers ahead!

Here’s my take:

1. The relentless, visionary leader reminiscent of Elon Musk can be seen in our protagonist, as he pushes the boundaries of human endurance and technological innovation to survive against all odds.
2. The ruthless, ambitious CEO who values profits over people, much like Travis Kalanick, is embodied by one of the antagonists, who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
3. A Steve Jobs-like character, with an eye for design and a flair for the dramatic, can be found in our hero’s mentor. His innovative ideas and unwavering commitment to perfection drive the story forward.
4. The enigmatic, mysterious figure who seems to control the shadows from behind the scenes, much like Larry Page or Sergey Brin, is hinted at in the form of a reclusive tech genius who holds the key to survival.

Venis (Cory Michael Smith) is the dynamo.

Venis, a billionaire, is often referred to as Armstrong’s “powerhouse”. He amassed his fortune from the social media platform Traam, boasting over 4 billion users worldwide. Venis exhibits ambition, immaturity, and self-centeredness, sometimes expressing doubts about whether others are as genuine as himself and his circle of friends.

In simpler terms, the initial comparison for Venis is Elon Musk, known as the wealthiest individual in our world. Similar to Musk, Venis harbors an intense fascination with space travel and intends to utilize his vast resources to construct massive data centers for developing potent AI systems that counteract progressive viewpoints. Additionally, Venis exhibits a peculiar dynamic with his child, employing the child as a symbol to aid him in navigating personal emotional struggles.

As a passionate cinephile, I found myself immersed in a film where Venis, our protagonist, is repeatedly advised to halt his advanced deepfake AI projects that have sparked global military conflicts and disrespected sacred sites worldwide. Instead of heeding their warnings, Venis argues that society should embrace technological evolutions and concentrate on the remarkable art these tools can create. This stance echoes Sam Altman’s viewpoint, who advocates for OpenAI to reveal innovations like ChatGPT swiftly to demonstrate the immense potential technology holds.

Similar to Mark Zuckerberg, Venis oversees a highly popular social media network that has been criticized for disregarding harm in pursuit of expansion. In a manner reminiscent of Amnesty International’s accusation against Meta for “substantially contributing” to human rights abuses against the Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar, Venis is reported to have expressed frustration towards the UN for allegedly stirring racial conflict.

Randall (Steve Carell) is the father.

Amongst the group’s senior members, it is Randall who stands out. He is an investor and tech enthusiast, often compared to Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel due to his grand philosophical musings and pursuit of immortality. Like Andreessen, Randall is a fervent advocate for accelerationism – the belief that U.S. companies should prioritize AI development at breakneck speed. This rapid advancement, he argues, serves two purposes: firstly, to thwart the Chinese from dominating the technology; secondly, to spark a new era of American prosperity where productivity, happiness, and health all reach their zenith.

Randall’s influence stems from being Venis’ initial financial backer, similar to how Peter Thiel was one of Facebook’s early investors. Unlike Andreessen, who writes manifestos about technological progress, Randall articulates his vision in epic, historically-framed terms, employing language that is anti-democratic and reminiscent of science fiction, much like philosopher Curtis Yarvin, who has been supported and promoted by Thiel throughout his career.

Randall’s argument for murder, viewed through the utilitarian and Kantian perspectives, evokes Sam Bankman-Fried’s philosophical musings. He stated that he would consider eliminating all life on Earth if there was a 51% chance it could lead to a second Earth. Similar to Bankman-Fried, his strategy of accepting risk and causing harm in pursuit of immense benefits eventually led him to be found guilty of significant financial fraud.

Randall shares a similar passion for prolonging life, much like Thiel, who has long been vocal about challenging the perceived inevitability of death. He dreams of revolutionary medical advancements that could potentially grant him an eternal lifespan.

Jeff (Ramy Youssef) is the usurper.

Jeff frequently plays the role of the movie’s moral compass, often criticizing other characters. However, he is also heavily connected to their environment, relying on their resources, especially Venis’ powerful computing capabilities, to prosper. Ultimately, Jeff compromises his principles for self-preservation and personal success.

Critics of artificial intelligence have raised similar concerns about key figures in prominent AI research centers, such as Sam Altman, who established OpenAI initially as a nonprofit, and later sought changes within the organization, as well as Demis Hassabis and Dario Amodei. The latter is the CEO of Google DeepMind, a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, an unusual scientist surrounded by businesspeople and technologists. In pursuit of his aspirations to combat illness and slow climate change, Hassabis partnered with Google in 2014, agreeing not to let Google use his technology for military purposes. However, that restriction has since been removed, and the AI systems developed under Hassabis’ leadership are being marketed through Google to countries like Israel’s military forces.

A similarity can be seen between Jeff and Amodei, an AI researcher who left OpenAI due to concerns about their reduction of safety measures, subsequently founding Anthropic. Amodei has advocated for the establishment of AI regulations by governments and highlighted the potentially disastrous consequences of the current AI industry’s competitive landscape. However, some have expressed criticism towards Anthropic, suggesting that they share similarities with OpenAI in terms of prioritizing scale, which could intensify competition.

Souper (Jason Schwartzman) is the hanger-on.

Every quartet requires its ‘Turtle’ or ‘Ringo’; a stable and supportive member who often takes the brunt of the group’s dominant personalities. In the case of Mountainhead, the sidekick is Souper, so named due to his substantial wealth from soup kitchen funds in comparison to the others (hundreds of millions versus billions). To demonstrate his value, he’s obsessed with securing funding for a meditation startup, which he envisions as eventually evolving into a comprehensive ‘everything app.’

A tech executive wouldn’t relish being likened to Souper, as he appears to struggle with feelings of inadequacy. However, many influential figures in technology have underlined the significance of meditation and mindfulness – among them is Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and CEO of Square, who frequently takes part in meditation retreats.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d say that during his interview, Armstrong was tight-lipped about the specific sources of inspiration for my characters, but he did admit that some speculations weren’t far off. He explained it like this: “For those familiar with the scene, it’s like looking into a funhouse mirror where you spot someone and think it’s them.” I can confirm that all the individuals mentioned in my research, such as Andreessen, David Sacks, and some philosophers, have contributed pieces to the puzzle. It’s quite amusing to play a game of guessing who provided which limb for my Frankenstein-like characters.

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2025-05-31 13:06

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