--- title: "SpaceX Is Reportedly Giving Elon Musk Advance Warning of Drug Tests" description: "Drug testing is supposed to be random — but according to insider sources, that's not the case for Elon Musk's federal contractor drug tests." date: "2025-05-30" modified: "2025-05-30" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/spacex-elon-musk-drug-test-warning" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "drug test" - "elon musk" - "ketamine" - "SpaceX" --- # SpaceX Is Reportedly Giving Elon Musk Advance Warning of Drug Tests ![Drug testing is supposed to be random — but according to insider sources, that's not the case for Elon Musk's federal contractor drug tests.]() *\Image: Jim Watson / AFP via Getty / Futurism\* Generally speaking, drug testing in the workplace is supposed to be conductd at random intervals — but according to insider sources, that's not the case for the sometimes-world's richest man. A [*New York Times* exposé]() about Elon Musk's fear and loathing on the campaign trail found that the billionaire not only has been on boatloads of risky and illegal drugs during his turn into hard-right politics, but was also being tipped off about when he'd be tested for them. As we've [long known](), SpaceX's federal contractor status requires that all its employees — including its mercurial CEO — pass drug tests. Given Musk's admitted penchant for mind-altering substances, and for [ketamine in particular](), his [ability to pass those tests]() has long been a concern. If the *NYT*'s sources are to be believed, we may now know how the 53-year-old keeps passing: because he's been warned in advance when the "random" tests are going to occur, and been able to plan accordingly. (Though those sources didn't get into it, anyone who's ever had to pass a drug test themselves knows that there are typicaly two options: drink so much water that you pee all the drugs out of your system, or get urine or hair from someone else and pass it off as your own.) As those same sources allege, Musk's substance use increased significantly as he helped propel Donald Trump to the White House for a second time. He purportedly told people that his [bladder had been affected]() by his frequent ketamine use, and had been taking ecstasy and psilocybin mushrooms too. The multi-hyphenate businessman and politico also [carried around a daily medication box]() with at least 20 pills in it — including ones with markings that resemble the ADHD drug Adderall, according to people who saw photos of it and regaled it back to the *NYT*. (He's also been linked to [cocaine and a cornucopia of other substances]().) When it comes to stimulants like Adderall and anything else in Musk's [daily pill box]() — which, despite how the article makes it sound, is not that abnormal a thing for a [man in his 50s]() to be carrying around — there's a good chance that the billionaire has prescriptions that could excuse at least some abuse. He also has claimed that he was [prescribed ketamine for depression](), though to be fair, taking so much that it makes it hard to pee would suggest he's far surpassed his recommended dosage. As [*Futurism* has noted before](), Musk's drugs of choice described here are not often screened for on standard drug panels. Though we don't know [how in-depth federal drug tests are](), standard tests [primarily screen for]() cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP, though some include ecstasy/MDMA as well. Testing for ketamine is, on the other hand, [pretty rare](). If Musk is being tipped off about his drug tests — and is either flushing his system or taking a sober underling's urine or hair — none of that would matter. But given that the worst of his purported substance abuse revolves around ketamine, there's always a chance that he's in a recurring K-hole and getting off scot-free, unlike his employees, who are held to a much higher standard. **More on Musk's drug use:** [*Ex-FBI Agent: Elon Musk's Drug Habit Made Him an Easy Target for Russian Spies*]() ## 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]()