Elon Musk gained public attention when he appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and was seen smoking weed. There have been various rumors circulating about the billionaire’s potential drug use, ranging from cocaine, LSD, and psychedelic mushrooms at social gatherings worldwide. Musk has acknowledged using ketamine with a prescription, but there are unverified reports suggesting recreational use with his brother in Miami. Concerns heightened in 2017 when he arrived an hour late to a SpaceX meeting, displaying slurred speech to the extent that another executive took over. Allegations of Musk’s drug abuse emerged from board members, colleagues, and acquaintances, leading to media coverage. However, Musk vehemently denies these claims.
In response to the allegations, Musk stated on his platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), that he underwent three years of random drug testing at NASA’s request after his single puff with Rogan. He emphasized that no traces of drugs or alcohol were found in the tests conducted.
Nevertheless, a Wall Street Journal article contradicted Musk’s claims, citing multiple sources expressing ongoing concerns about his drug usage. Speculations arose regarding its potential impact on Musk’s well-being and its implications for SpaceX’s government contracts valued at $14 billion and investors’ assets estimated at $1 trillion. Musk dismissed the credibility of the Wall Street Journal and continued to deny the accusations, using social media to express his disregard for the claims made against him.
Despite Musk’s rebuttals, reports continued to emerge, with some suggesting that drug use may have contributed to erratic behavior, including controversial tweets about Tesla’s privatization plans that led to a significant fraud trial. Allegedly, Tesla board members sought to address Musk’s alleged drug-related issues through his brother, Kimbal Musk. Instances where Musk appeared emotionally distressed during public interviews also raised speculation about his potential drug influence.
NASA initiated a $5 million investigation into Musk’s drug use following the podcast incident in 2018, yet the results remain undisclosed years later. Given that employee drug use violates SpaceX’s government contract terms, the implications of such findings could be substantial.
As of now, Elon Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, and the companies involved, including SpaceX, Tesla, and X, have not provided immediate comments or responses to inquiries regarding these allegations. Musk himself has remained relatively silent on the matter, making a seemingly dismissive tweet a day after the Wall Street Journal’s article was published.