Alleged drug use by tech billionaire and close President Trump ally Elon Musk on the campaign trail during the 2024 presidential election has sparked concerns, according to an explosive New York Times report published Friday morning.
The article comes as Musk is exiting the Trump administration after a whirlwind several months in which he led efforts to cut down on the government’s size.
Musk told people he was using ketamine so often that it was impacting his bladder, along with utilizing psychedelic mushrooms and taking ecstasy, the Times reported.
The tech executive, who was advising the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) panel on federal government cost-cutting measures, would travel every day with a box containing 20 pills, the Times said, citing individuals who have seen the box and the photo of it. Some of the pills were marked as Adderall.
Musk has said previously that he has a prescription for ketamine.
The billionaire, who heads six companies, spent well north of $250 million to help Trump get elected in November last year. One of those companies is SpaceX, an aerospace firm, that is a significant contractor with the federal government. Because of that government relationship, SpaceX has to maintain a drug-free workplace. The paper reported Musk has gotten advanced warnings of SpaceX drug tests, citing individuals close to the process.
The Times reporting included interviews with dozens of individuals Musk worked with or knew, along with obtaining private messages. Musk and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment sent by the outlet.
Musk announced Wednesday that he would be departing the White House as his 130-day period as a special government employee expires.
The world’s richest person criticized the House GOP budget bill, which contains Trump’s legislative agenda, saying the legislation undercuts the work DOGE has done in the past four months.
“I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit … and it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said in an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning.”
Trump, who earlier this week shrugged off Musk’s criticism of the bill, said Thursday night that he will hold a press event Friday with Musk at 1:30 p.m. EDT.
“This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
According to the Times, some of Musk’s friends have severed ties with the tech billionaire over his public behavior.
“Elon has pushed the boundaries of his bad behavior more and more,” Philip Low, a neuroscientist, told The Times.
The Wall Street Journal reported in January 2024 that Musk has used cocaine, LSD, psychedelic mushrooms and ecstasy at private parties, prompting concerns from board members and executives at SpaceX and Tesla.
“After that one puff with Rogan, I agreed, at NASA’s request, to do 3 years of random drug testing,” Musk wrote in a social media post shortly after that article was published. “Not even trace quantities were found of any drugs or alcohol. @WSJ is not fit to line a parrot cage for bird 💩.”
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