'Not even trace quantities': Elon Musk denies drug use allegations
What's the story
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has refuted claims of using illegal drugs like LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine. These allegations emerged in a recent The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, which implied that Musk's drug use raised concerns among Tesla and SpaceX board members. In response, Musk revealed that after three years of random drug testing, "not even trace quantities" of drugs or alcohol were detected in his system.
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Check out Musk's response
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 💩
Details
Musk's agreement to random drug testing
Musk's drug use came under scrutiny after he smoked marijuana on the Joe Rogan podcast in 2018, leading to criticism even from NASA. Consequently, Musk agreed to undergo three years of random drug testing at NASA's request. Addressing the WSJ report, Musk stated, "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."
What Next?
Concerns among board members and legal response
The WSJ report suggested that several Tesla and SpaceX members were worried about Musk's drug use. Linda Johnson Rice, a former director, left the company in 2019 due to concerns about Musk's behavior and drug consumption. Several Tesla directors, including chairwoman Robyn Denholm, have reportedly consulted with Musk's brother Kimbal Musk regarding the billionaire's behavior and conduct. Musk's attorney Alex Spiro informed WSJ that Musk is "regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test."
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Musk's latest reaction to drug use allegations
If drugs actually helped improve my net productivity over time, I would definitely take them!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 8, 2024
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