An insider has claimed Facebook execs turned a blind eye to drug abuse if they felt it was increasing productivity, as the killing of Bob Lee sheds a light on Silicon Valley’s hardcore drug culture.
Dave Marlon, who founded one of the largest addiction recovery centers in the US and has worked with several Facebook employees, claims the tech giant’s executives knew office workers used drugs but accepted it as part of the culture.
He told that what he would describe as “serious substance abuse” is referred to in the industry as “the idiosyncrasies of a technical worker”.
The harsh reality of Silicon Valley’s drug problem was tragically exposed by the April 4th brutal murder of Cash App founder Lee in San Francisco.
The 43-year-old millionaire was allegedly stabbed to death by his alleged lover’s brother after an altercation over Lee’s alleged drug use.
The brutal murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee has shed light on drug abuse in Silicon Valley
It is alleged that Nima Momeni stabbed Lee to death after confronting him about whether he was inducing his sister Khazar Momeni to use drugs or “anything inappropriate”.
An insider claims Facebook executives turned a blind eye to substance abuse if they thought it boosted productivity
A coroner’s report revealed that Lee had ketamine, cocaine and alcohol in his system.
It has raised new questions about the tech sector’s cavalier approach to drugs and their fatal consequences.
Although Lee’s drug use did not directly lead to his death, several other high-profile tech executives have failed because of their unabated drug abuse.
Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, succumbed to a ketamine and nitrous oxide addiction that drove him so delusional that he barricaded himself in a shed and started a fire that killed him in November 2020.
And Forrest Tim Hayes, a top executive at Google, died after being injected with heroin by a prostitute on his boat in 2013.
Marlon, who has treated hundreds of technicians, claims that in his experience, the giants of Silicon Valley were willing to turn a blind eye to drug use if they felt it increased productivity.
He claimed some were reluctant to seek help for employees struggling with addiction for fear of creating a public relations disaster if the addiction became public.
Marlon highlighted the uproar Google experienced following Hayes’ death.
He added, “I’ve treated several Facebook employees.” They talk about the same thing I would call symptoms of severe substance use disorder, they might call it the quirks of a tech worker.
“For a large group of employees, using amphetamines and benzos and abusing alcohol was acceptable and part of the culture.” It’s more open than in a traditional company.
‘I would say yes [the hierarchy were aware]. But as the saying goes, “I’m a prolific software developer and I have a recipe for Adderall.” “I work better using it, and three of my co-workers use it too, and we share it when they go to the bathroom.”
“Managers are aware of this abuse and it’s normalized.” I believe acceptable behaviors vary in this industry, which keeps interventionists like me from helping people who stop partying.”
Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, succumbed to a ketamine and nitrous oxide addiction that drove him so delusional that he barricaded himself in a shed and started a fire that killed him in 2020
Hsieh, who amassed enormous wealth by selling shoe company Zappos to Amazon in a $1.2 billion deal, died in a pool shed in New London, Connecticut (right).
According to a firefighter’s report, Hsieh was carrying lit candles, a propane heater, Whippet nitrous oxide chargers, a whipped cream dispenser, a marijuana pipe and bottles of alcohol at the time of the fire
Google executive Forrest Tim Hayes died after being injected with heroin by a prostitute on his boat in 2013
Microdosing — taking a small amount of a drug for purported psychological benefits — is rampant in Silicon Valley.
Tech execs liken it to Bradley Cooper in the movie Limitless, where he plays a man who takes a mysterious drug to get smarter than everyone else.
But some have exceeded their limits – with fatal consequences.
Holly McNamara, who worked as Hsieh’s assistant and PR assistant, told that her former boss started microdosing as a “scientific experiment” before it got out of control.
Lee’s voracious drug use was first reported about two weeks after his murder.
The San Francisco Standard quoted a friend, Taraneh Ipakchi, as saying he likes to “do a lot of drugs.”
The father of two is said to have met Momeni’s sister Khazar Momeni around 2020.
Ms Momeni’s friend Samira Kuduzovic said she may have also been a regular drug user, the newspaper reported.
Prosecutors say Lee visited a San Francisco apartment with wife Momeni just hours before his violent death.
The apartment belonged to an alleged drug dealer, according to court documents.
Lee and Khazar Momeni (above), the wife of a respected plastic surgeon, are said to have been part of an underground drug and casual sex scene
Images show the timing of events leading up to the alleged murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee
Friends of Lee’s told The Wall Street Journal that he and Ms. Momeni, the glamorous wife of a respected plastic surgeon, were part of what is known in certain affluent tech circles as “The Lifestyle” — a code for couples seeking casual sex.
Police say they have surveillance footage allegedly showing Momeni luring Lee into his car and then down a dark San Francisco side street before stabbing him.
Momeni pleaded not guilty to the killing and is due to appear in court on June 13.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, did not respond to ‘s request for comment.