Top line
Elon Musk The use of illegal drugs is denied On Sunday, he claimed that “not even traces” of drugs or alcohol had been found in his body in three years of random drug testing, after a report in the Wall Street Journal detailed how the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder's drug use was similar to colleagues in Leadership positions in his companies are troubling.
Drug tests since he smoked marijuana on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
Important facts
Musk was caught on video smoking marijuana during a recording session of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in 2018 – a move that put him at odds with NASA, which required assurances that SpaceX was a drug-free workplace to maintain its sole employer status Government contractor has received approval to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.
The billionaire has since downplayed the stunt on Rogan's show, claiming he only took “one hit” of marijuana on the podcast and telling biographer Walter Isaacson, “I really don't like doing illegal drugs.”
According to Musk, he agreed to undergo three years of random drug testing following his appearance on the podcast – and claimed that “not even a trace of drugs or alcohol” had been found in his body since then.
Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Musk, also confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that the billionaire had “never failed an exam” and said the paper's report contained “false facts” – but did not reveal what they were act.
In the past, Musk has also admitted to taking ketamine – a dissociative drug – to treat depression.
Ketamine is approved by the FDA only as an anesthetic, but clinical trials of the drug's “off-label” use to treat depression and other mood disorders have increased in recent years.
Important background
On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal published a detailed report on Musk's drug use, which reportedly affected executives at SpaceX and Tesla. According to the report, Tesla board members have spoken informally about Musk's drug use for years and even reached out to his brother Kimbal Musk because they had concerns about his behavior. Musk also allegedly did drugs with executives at his companies – sources told the Journal that Musk used recreational ketamine with his brother Kimbal, who sits on the boards of Tesla and SpaceX, and took undisclosed illegal drugs with SpaceX board member Steve Jurvetson. The newspaper also reported that former Tesla director Linda Johnson Rice left the company in 2019 due to his drug use and volatile behavior.
Forbes rating
We estimate Elon Musk's net worth at $243.5 billion, making him the richest person in the world. Musk's wealth is based on his holdings in Tesla and SpaceX.
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I'm a Brooklyn-based reporter covering breaking news. I previously covered crime, politics and local New York news for Metro and the New York Post. I am a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University.
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