Squid Game VIPs reflect Elon Musk, says creator, as final chapter unmasks how billionaires now take control publicly
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk draws comparisons between VIPs and tech moguls like Elon Musk, noting how power is now openly exercised. As Netflix explores an English-language spinoff with David Fincher, the series continues reflecting today’s shifting realities.
As Squid Game concludes with its third season, the creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has offered fresh commentary on the show’s symbolic characters. In a recent interview with Time, he drew a connection between the masked VIPs and real-life tech figures—especially Elon Musk.
“Elon Musk is everywhere these days, right? Everybody talks about him,” Hwang said. “Not only is he the head of a huge tech company that controls the world almost, but he’s also this showman.”
After completing the latest season, Hwang noted that some of the VIP characters ended up resembling Musk. “Of course I thought, ‘Oh, some of the VIPs do kind of resemble Elon Musk’,” he added.
From hidden influence to open control
In Squid Game, the VIPs have been portrayed as rich, English-speaking individuals who observe brutal games for their entertainment while wearing masks. But in the final season, their role intensifies—they now enter the game and kill with their own hands.
“They take their masks off and go into the game and kill others with their own hands,” Hwang explained. This development, he said, reflects a growing trend in the real world.
“Those that really controlled the system and maintained power, they were hidden behind the curtain... However, it’s no longer the case, especially in America,” he stated.
Elon Musk | Credit: X
Wealth and influence now worn publicly
Hwang spoke about how today’s powerful individuals no longer operate behind closed doors. “We talk a lot about oligarchy these days,” he said, “but these so-called big tech owners... step up, telling everyone who they’re backing with their money.”
He added, “The people who really control the power and the system, they no longer hide behind a curtain. They willingly take their masks off, almost as if to declare, ‘We’re the ones running everything. We’re the ones in control’.”
English-language spinoff reportedly in development
Meanwhile, the Squid Game franchise could be expanding. According to Deadline, Netflix is working on a new English-language spinoff. Acclaimed director David Fincher is reportedly attached to the project. Though nothing has been officially confirmed, industry insiders suggest that the spinoff could become Fincher’s major focus in 2025, unless a feature film takes priority.
Hwang’s reflections reveal how Squid Game mirrors today’s world, where power is no longer hidden, but shown openly and deliberately.
Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions—yet!). For her, writing isn’t just work; it’s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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