Gabe Newell Emailed Elon Musk to Arrange a SpaceX Tour for Hideo Kojima in 2018

Key facts

• Gabe Newell emailed Elon Musk in October 2018 to introduce Hideo Kojima and request a SpaceX tour.
• Musk responded positively, saying Kojima was welcome to see the rocket factory and to send his email.
• The emails were filed as part of the amended joint exhibit list in the Musk v. Altman lawsuit on April 24, 2025.
• Kojima had visited Valve to discuss Death Stranding and expressed interest in AI and space travel.
• By 2020, Kojima stated in an interview with Geoff Keighley that the SpaceX tour had not occurred.
• Kojima has repeatedly stated his desire to go to space, including in his book The Creative Gene.
• Newell also asked Musk about Neuralink, and a year later founded Starfish Neuroscience.

Newell's Email to Musk Reveals Bid to Connect Kojima with SpaceX

In October 2018, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell emailed Elon Musk to arrange a tour of SpaceX for Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series and Death Stranding. The email, now public as part of the ongoing Musk v. Altman lawsuit, shows Newell acting as an intermediary after Kojima visited Valve and expressed his desire to go to space. Newell wrote that Kojima had been at Valve talking about his new game and mentioned the importance he places on future work in AI. Newell offered to introduce Kojima to the people at OpenAI, but also noted Kojima's space ambitions. "The second thing is he was talking about how much he wants to go into space, and I offered to introduce him to you. He'd love to get a SpaceX tour," Newell wrote. Musk replied enthusiastically: "Sure, it would be great to meet Hideo Kojima and he's welcome to see the rocket factory. No problem to send him my email."

Kojima's Space Ambitions Remain Unfulfilled Despite Musk's Invitation

Despite Musk's positive response, the SpaceX tour never materialized. By 2020, Kojima told The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley that he had visited Valve "maybe four, five years ago" and that Newell had offered to arrange a visit to SpaceX because they both loved space. "Actually, I was really anticipating really going together, but we haven't done that yet," Kojima said, expressing disappointment. Musk later replied to Kojima on X (then Twitter) saying "Welcome anytime," but the tour still did not occur. Kojima's desire to go to space is intense; in his book The Creative Gene, he wrote: "If I could have just one wish in my life—if I could cast a magic spell and make anything come true—without hesitation, it would be this: 'I wish to go to space before I die.'" He added that he would give up his career, family, or even his life for the chance.

Newell Also Sought Insights on Neuralink, Leading to His Own Neuroscience Venture

In the same email exchange, Newell asked Musk about Neuralink, expressing a shift in his understanding of neuromodulation. "For a long time I thought neuromodulation (e.g. rTMS) was weird, mainly because I had an unsophisticated understanding of a bunch of aspects of the brain. I've more or less done a 180, and think there is a significant near-term consumer market," Newell wrote. He asked if he should discuss this with the Neuralink team and who to contact. A year later, in 2019, Newell founded Starfish Neuroscience, a company focused on brain-computer interfaces. This move suggests that the exchange with Musk influenced Newell's foray into neuroscience, though the extent of that influence is not detailed in the emails.

Musk's Early Ambivalence Toward OpenAI Foreshadows Lawsuit

In his reply, Musk also addressed Newell's offer to connect Kojima with OpenAI. Musk stated that his involvement with OpenAI was "very limited at this point," though he still provided financial support and received updates from Sam Altman. He expressed doubt that OpenAI could serve as an effective counterweight to Google's DeepMind and said he was pursuing that goal through Tesla instead. "We have cash flow on the order of billions of dollars per year to build hardware that hopefully has at least a dark horse chance to keep Google honest," Musk wrote. This early skepticism presages the current lawsuit, filed in August 2024, in which Musk alleges that Altman and OpenAI abandoned their non-profit mission for profit.

Kojima's Ongoing Quest for Space and AI Integration

Kojima's interest in space and AI has persisted. In 2023, he said, "I want to go to outer space and create a game you can play in space," pleading for someone to send him up. Last year, he told The Guardian he wanted to go to the International Space Station and stay for a few months, adding, "I could probably make games in space. I want to be the first." Kojima has also expressed nuanced views on AI, stating he would like AI to handle tedious tasks but would lead the creative part himself. He has warned that humans could become spoiled if they rely too heavily on the technology. His visit to Valve in 2018, which sparked the email exchange, was centered on Death Stranding, a game that features an image of Kojima in the night sky in its sequel.

Legal Dispute Brings Private Communications to Light

The emails emerged as part of the amended joint exhibit list filed on April 24 in the Musk v. Altman lawsuit. Musk's complaint, first filed in August 2024, accuses Altman of assuring Musk that OpenAI's non-profit structure guaranteed neutrality and a focus on safety, but that this was a "long con" for profit. The lawsuit has unearthed a trove of communications involving prominent tech figures, including Newell's attempt to arrange the SpaceX tour. The revelation underscores the interconnectedness of the tech industry's elite, with Newell leveraging his relationship with Musk to fulfill a colleague's dream. However, the outcome remains unresolved: Kojima has yet to visit space, and the lawsuit continues to unfold.

The bottom line

• Gabe Newell emailed Elon Musk in 2018 to arrange a SpaceX tour for Hideo Kojima, but the tour never happened.
• The emails were disclosed in the Musk v. Altman lawsuit, filed in August 2024 and amended on April 24, 2025.
• Kojima's desire to go to space is a long-standing, deeply held ambition, as expressed in his book and interviews.
• Newell's inquiry about Neuralink preceded his founding of Starfish Neuroscience in 2019.
• Musk expressed early doubts about OpenAI's ability to compete with Google, foreshadowing his current lawsuit.
• Kojima continues to seek space travel and has expressed interest in creating games in space.