Squid Game showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk has said that some of the show's VIP characters are partly inspired by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. In an interview with Time, he explained that the portrayal of the wealthy viewers of the deadly games in season three is reminiscent of the public behavior of American billionaires.
In the third season of the series, which premiered on Netflix on June 27, wealthy VIPs stop being passive spectators of deadly games — they take off their masks, put on pink jumpsuits and take up arms themselves. This plot twist, according to the showrunner, was inspired by political reality — in particular, the figures of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
"Elon Musk is everywhere these days, right? Everybody talks about him. Not only is he the head of a huge tech company that controls the world almost, but he's also this showman," the author stated.
In the final season, VIP characters take part in the game for the first time, killing players themselves. According to the creators, this reflects the trend where the super-rich not only have power, but also openly display it.
"They used to hide behind the scenes, but now it's the other way around. They're taking off their masks, publicly declaring: we control everything," Dong Hyuk explained.
"The Squid Game" continues to explore the theme of inequality in a world where, according to Time, the number of billionaires in 2025 exceeded 3,000, and their combined fortune reached more than $16 trillion - more than the GDP of any country except the United States and China.