Elon Musk’s Drug Use Concerns Executives in Businesses He Runs; Denied in Random Testing Results

By Moon Harper

Jan 08, 2024 01:27 AM EST

According to the Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk's drug use concerns executives and board members at the companies he manages.

Use of Drugs Including Ketamine

Musk has reportedly used substances like LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms, often at private events, with a focus on ketamine, which Musk had previously claimed as a prescription for antidepressants.

Musk's public use of marijuana with podcaster Joe Rogan prompted the reassessment of his federal security clearance in the CEO position at SpaceX in 2018. Musk has responded to the report, denying all the allegations and concerns raised by top management at Tesla and SpaceX, stating, "After that one puff with Rogan, I agreed, at NASA's request, to do three years of random drug testing. Not even trace quantities were found of any drugs or alcohol."

Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro, stated that Musk undergoes regular and random drug tests at SpaceX and passes them without any issues. Spiro also mentioned "false facts" in the article but did not provide specific details.

Alleged More Drug Use at Parties

Elon Musk has been reportedly involved with drug use at parties, where guests were required to surrender their phones and sign non-disclosure agreements. In 2018, Musk consumed multiple acid tablets at a Los Angeles party he hosted and reportedly used magic mushrooms at a party he attended in Mexico a year later. Executives at Tesla and SpaceX were worried about Elon Musk's reported drug use, expressing concerns that could potentially harm his companies, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Former Tesla's Director Chose Not to Stand for Reelection

As The Wall Street Journal reported, Linda Johnson Rice, a former Tesla director troubled by Elon Musk's drug use and unpredictable behavior, decided not to seek reelection to the electric car company's board. Rice, who was on the company's board until 2019, shared Elon Musk's substance use with Tesla's board members and casually inquired about investigating it, but were reportedly dismissed.

Executives' Concerns

The comprehensive report by The Journal discusses how executives in Musk's companies have struggled to handle his drug use and unpredictable public actions and statements.

At Tesla, certain directors have approached Musk's brother, Kimbal, for assistance regarding his behavior but have been cautious not to directly mention the word "drugs" when expressing their concerns.

Based on reports, Elon Musk may have been under the influence when he tweeted about having "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 a share, which increased Tesla shares by 6% the next day, leading to an SEC investigation that resulted in $40 million in fines, although he did not admit wrongdoing.

Musk, who expressed a dislike for illegal drugs, mentioned to his biographer Walter Isaacson that he microdoses ketamine. There have been observations of him using the drug recreationally. Publicly, Musk stated that, on occasion, ketamine is a preferable option for treating depression compared to SSRIs. He gained attention for smoking weed with Joe Rogan during a podcast episode, leading NASA to conduct a safety review of SpaceX, and Musk mentioned that the entire company had to undergo drug tests for a year as a result.