--- title: "People Close to Elon Musk Concerned About Alleged Drug Use, Slurring Words" description: "As Elon Musk's public behavior becomes stranger, his business associates are concerned that a factor could be his use of drugs." date: "2024-01-08" modified: "2024-01-08" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/elon-musk-drugs-concerned" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "ketamine" - "SpaceX" - "tesla" --- # People Close to Elon Musk Concerned About Alleged Drug Use, Slurring Words ![As Elon Musk's public behavior becomes stranger, his business associates are concerned that a factor could be his use of drugs.]() *ROME, ITALY - DECEMBER 15: Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc and X (formerly Twitter) Ceo speaks at the Atreju political convention organized by Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), on December 15, 2023 in Rome, Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing political party organised a four-day political festival in the Italian capital. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images) \Image: Antonio Masiello / Getty Images\* As Elon Musk's public behavior becomes [stranger]() and [more disturbing](), his business associates are concerned that a factor could be his use of drugs. In [interviews with the *Wall Street Journal*](), insiders at SpaceX and Tesla said that there have been multiple occasions in which C-suiters became alarmed by their perception of the billionaire's use of drugs. That substance list allegedly includes [regular use of ketamine]() as well as cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms. Two of those instances, of course, are extremely well-known: the infamous "[420]()" Tesla stock price tweet from 2018 and its [seemingly endless consequences]() and the time Musk [inexpertly smoked a blunt]() on Joe Rogan's podcast. Reports of more serious drug use, though, haven't seen as much daylight — and though there's nothing wrong with dabbling with drugs safely, Musk's many government contracts and leadership position over many billions of dollars of assets give the allegations unusual heft. In late 2017, people familiar with the matter told the *WSJ*, the serial entrepreneur took to the stage very late for an all-hands SpaceX meeting and began rambling and slurring his words for about 15 minutes. At one point, he referred to the company's Big Falcon Rocket prototype as its "Big F\*cking Rocket" — which, to be fair, [was a running joke]() before it was renamed "Starship" — and was eventually intercepted by SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, who took over for the incoherent CEO. After that spectacle, the *WSJ*'s unnamed insiders allege, SpaceX leadership began to privately confer about what they'd just witnessed. One even referred to Musk's performance as "cringeworthy," "nonsensical," and "unhinged." Alex Spiro, an attorney for Musk, denied these claims and said that Musk is "regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test," which the South African-born tech mogul [has alluded to before](). He also said that "there are other false facts" in the *WSJ*'s reporting, but declined to say what they were. After the *WSJ*'s article was published, Musk [weighed in]() to say that it was "not fit to line a parrot cage for bird." Over at Tesla, there have been similar concerns. According to the *WSJ*'s sources, board members at the electric vehicle maker have gone so far as to reach out to Kimbal Musk, the billionaire's brother, to tactfully communicate their concerns without using the term "drugs." Soon after that infamous 2018 appearance, people in Musk's inner circle learned, per insider allegations, that the multi-hyphenate CEO was under the influence of something when he got choked up during a [*New York Times* interview]() when discussing some of his personal and business difficulties — though to be fair, [being wont to cry]() is apparently part of his whole deal. There could, of course, be other explanations for the CEO's strange behavior. In 2017, he [seemed to claim]() in response to a tweet that he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and also [seemed to publicly suggest]() that he microdoses ketamine therapeutically to treat depression. To be clear: taking drugs recreationally or therapeutically can be fun and beneficial. But it's very easy to over-do it, [especially with ketamine]() and its infamous "[K-hole]()," making Musk's seeming drug of choice cast a dark shadow over his antics. **More on drugs:** [*Incredible Hotline Counsels Drug Users Through Potential Overdoses Without Shame*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()