Elon Musk has established a culture of peer pressure among his friends and business associates that forces them to use drugs with him, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.
Elon Musk's Alleged Drug Use
According to The Journal, many of the board members and directors of the tech billionaire's various companies either participate in or enable his substance use in a bid to stay close to him.
Citing witnesses of Elon Musk's drug use or were briefed about it, The Journal reported that the Tesla CEO had been seen taking ketamine recreationally through a nasal spray and drinking liquid ecstasy at parties in recent years.
The report noted that current and former Tesla and SpaceX directors and board members, who have invested millions of dollars in Musk's companies, have also used drugs with him.
The report noted that among these people are venture capitalists tech mogul Larry Ellison, former media executive James Murdoch, Gracias and Ira Ehrenpreis, and Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk.
"At the upscale Austin Proper Hotel, Musk has attended social gatherings in recent years with Tesla board member Joe Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder and a friend of his, where Musk took ketamine recreationally through a nasal spray bottle multiple times, according to people familiar with the drug use and the parties," the report noted.
"Musk and some people close to him, including Kimbal Musk, attend parties at Hotel El Ganzo, a boutique hotel in San José del Cabo, Mexico, known for its art and music scene as well as drug-fueled events, according to people familiar with the parties," it added.
Concerns About the Drug Use of Elon Musk
According to The Journal, the culture that Elon Musk created around him made his business associates feel that they would lose their social status and wealth if they refused to use drugs with him and upset the billionaire. The report further noted that the volume of drug use by the billionaire and with board members has become concerning.
Amid growing concerns among Musk's friends and associates that his drug use was getting worse, The Journal reported that Musk's close friend, former Tesla director Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of software company Oracle, even urged Musk to travel to Hawaii in the winter of 2022 to "relax from work and dry out from the drugs."
However, the report also said that even though some current and former Tesla and SpaceX directors know of Musk's illegal drug use, they have refrained from taking public action. Musk, his lawyer Alex Spiro, and representatives for Tesla and SpaceX have yet to comment on this matter.
Last month, The Journal reported that the tech billionaire uses LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, and ketamine often at private parties and even before meetings.
The report also highlighted how executives at some of Musk's companies have worried and struggled to manage his drug use and erratic behavior. Responding to the report, Musk said in a post on X, "Whatever I'm doing, I should obviously keep doing it!"
On the other hand, Spiro told The Journal that his client was "regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test."
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