Elon Musk's drug use is raising concerns among Tesla and SpaceX executives, alleged a Wall Street Journal report, which cites unidentified people who claim to be familiar with the tech mogul and his companies.
Citing unnamed witnesses and others with knowledge of the matter, the Journal goes on to accuse Musk of using LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms, often at private parties.
People close to Musk allegedly told the newspaper that his drug use is ongoing. Furthermore, they claim the 52-year-old business magnate is consuming ketamine. In an X post back in August 2023, Musk explained he has a prescription to use the drug as an antidepressant.
I have serious concerns about SSRIs, as they tend to zombify people.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2023
Occasional use of Ketamine is a much better option, in my opinion. I have a prescription for when my brain chemistry sometimes goes super negative.
In March 2019, Bloomberg News first reported that Musk's marijuana use on Joe Rogan's podcast in September 2018 triggered a Pentagon review of his security clearance for running SpaceX, a company launching military spy satellites.
After that one puff with Rogan, I agreed, at NASA’s request, to do 3 years of random drug testing.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2024
Not even trace quantities were found of any drugs or alcohol. @WSJ is not fit to line a parrot cage for bird 💩
"After that one puff with Rogan, I agreed, at NASA's request, to do 3 years of random drug testing. Not even trace quantities were found of any drugs or alcohol. @WSJ is not fit to line a parrot cage for bird," Musk wrote in an X post in January 2024.
Elon Musk's lawyers deny drug use claims
Attorney for Musk, Alex Spiro, told the Journal that his client is "regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test". Without specifically mentioning them, Spiro referred to "false facts" in the WSJ article.
Musk's lawyers have vehemently denied reports that Tesla and SpaceX executives are concerned about his erratic behaviour, which they reportedly believe could cause harm to his businesses.
In fact, the newspaper attributed former Tesla director Linda Johnson Rice's decision to not seek re-election to the board in 2019 to Musk's unpredictable behaviour.
It is worth noting that the tech tycoon has a reputation for sparking controversies. Last month, he reinstated far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on X, who was banned from the platform (formerly Twitter) in 2018 for violating its "abusive behavior policy".
Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2023
Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
Musk oversees 6 companies including Tesla, SpaceX, X, the tunnelling venture The Boring Co., brain implant developer Neuralink and artificial intelligence startup xAI.
SpaceX is the only US-based company approved to transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The Pentagon has increased purchases of launches from the Musk-led astronautics company in recent years.
In June, The Pentagon signed a contract with SpaceX's satellite communications business Starlink to support Ukraine's military, according to a Bloomberg report. Unsurprisingly, Musk ended 2023 with a whopping $100 billion (£78 billion) profit.
