Tesla CEO Elon Musk has rejected reports of him using illegal drugs, saying “not even trace quantities” of drugs or alcohol were found in his body over three years of random drug tests.
The strong rebuttal from the world’s richest man follows a report by a prominent US newspaper, which claimed that his drug use concerns colleagues in leadership roles at his companies, according to Forbes.
Elon Musk, SpaceX and Tesla chief faced scrutiny from NASA after smoking marijuana on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in 2018. NASA sought assurances of a drug-free SpaceX workplace to maintain its status as the sole government contractor for astronaut transport.
Musk has downplayed the incident, claiming he took only “one puff” and expressed his aversion to illegal drugs. He reportedly underwent three years of random drug testing, asserting no trace of drugs or alcohol in his system. Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, dismissed a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, saying Musk never failed a test.
On Saturday, WSJ released a detailed account of Musk’s alleged drug use, causing unease among SpaceX and Tesla executives. The report indicates informal concerns among Tesla board members about Musk’s drug use, leading to discussions with his brother Kimbal Musk.
Musk is purported to have engaged in recreational ketamine use with Kimbal and consumed unspecified illegal drugs with SpaceX board member Steve Jurvetson. The Journal also highlighted former Tesla director Linda Johnson Rice’s departure in 2019, reportedly influenced by Musk’s drug consumption and “erratic behaviour.”
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