5 Shocking Revelations About Elon Musk's Alleged Drug Use And The Multi-Billion Dollar Risk To SpaceX And Tesla

The world's wealthiest and most ambitious entrepreneur, Elon Musk, has been embroiled in a firestorm of controversy over his alleged substance use, a story that has intensified dramatically in 2024 with shocking new reports. These claims go far beyond the widely publicized incident of smoking marijuana on a podcast, painting a picture of intense consumption of powerful drugs like ketamine, which reportedly worried executives across his colossal empire, including the critical aerospace giant, SpaceX, and the automotive behemoth, Tesla.

As of December 18, 2025, the narrative is no longer about personal eccentricity; it has escalated into a serious discussion of corporate governance, national security, and the stability of companies valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. The core of the most recent controversy centers on an explosive investigative report detailing his alleged use, his subsequent public denials, and the unprecedented implications for his role as a key adviser to former President Donald Trump and a primary contractor for the U.S. government.

The Life and Times of Elon Musk: A Brief Biography

The man at the center of the controversy is a figure of relentless innovation and frequent controversy. His life story is a classic tale of a visionary who defied expectations, building an industrial and technological empire that spans multiple sectors, from electric vehicles to space exploration.

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A comprehensive profile of Elon Reeve Musk:

• Born: June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa.
• Citizenship: South African, Canadian, and American.
• Education: Attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He briefly attended Stanford University for a Ph.D. in energy physics but dropped out to pursue his entrepreneurial ventures.
• Key Companies Founded/Led:
  • Zip2 (co-founder, 1995)
  • PayPal (co-founder of X.com, which merged to become PayPal)
  • SpaceX (Founder, CEO, and CTO, 2002)
  • Tesla (CEO, 2008)
  • The Boring Company (Founder, 2016)
  • Neuralink (Co-founder, 2016)
  • xAI (Founder, 2023)
• Current Net Worth: His net worth fluctuates significantly with the stock market, but he is consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest individuals globally, often exceeding US$600 billion, driven largely by the valuations of Tesla and SpaceX.

The Shocking 2024 Allegations: Ketamine, Trump, and 'Demon Mode'

The most damaging and specific allegations surfaced in an explosive 2024 investigation by The New York Times, which detailed a pattern of substance consumption far more intense than previously known.

The Ketamine Claims and Bladder Concerns

While Musk had previously disclosed a prescription use of ketamine—a powerful anesthetic and dissociative drug—to treat depression, the 2024 report suggested his consumption was far more extensive and recreational.

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Sources alleged that the billionaire was using the drug, sometimes daily, during periods of intense activity, including his time advising former President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign.

One particularly alarming detail was the claim that Musk told people he was taking so much ketamine that it was allegedly beginning to affect his bladder health. This level of alleged abuse raises serious questions about his judgment and capacity to lead multi-billion dollar enterprises.

The Political and Public Context

The alleged heavy drug use occurred while Musk was operating in a highly sensitive political environment, serving as a senior adviser to Donald Trump. This connection prompted a House Oversight Democrat to seek information from Trump regarding the allegations, highlighting the public interest and political dimensions of the claims.

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Musk’s behavior has been scrutinized by biographers and journalists alike. Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography described a state the billionaire sometimes enters, dubbed "demon mode," characterized by intense fury and erratic behavior. Critics and analysts, like Harvard-educated biographer Seth Abramson, have raised alarms over the billionaire's struggles with mental health and alleged substance abuse, linking it to potentially erratic decision-making.

Musk’s Official Denial and Defense

In response to the 2024 bombshell reports, Elon Musk vehemently denied the allegations, labeling them as "baseless" and "false." To counter the claims, he publicly posted drug test results, asserting that he is subjected to regular, random drug testing.

He has also attempted to downplay the severity of the alleged ketamine consumption, stating in an interview with journalist Don Lemon in March 2024, "If you've used too much ketamine, you can't really get work done, and I have a lot of work." This defense hinges on his extraordinary productivity despite the allegations.

The Multi-Billion Dollar Risk: SpaceX, Tesla, and National Security

The true gravity of the allegations lies not just in Musk's personal life but in the potential fallout for the massive, publicly traded, and government-contracted companies he controls: Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter).

Corporate Turmoil and Executive Concerns

Reports indicate that executives and board members at both Tesla and SpaceX have expressed profound concern over Musk's alleged illegal drug use. These concerns stem from the potential for impaired judgment at the helm of companies that require constant, high-stakes decision-making. The sheer scale of these companies—Tesla dominating the electric vehicle market and SpaceX being a leader in aerospace—means any instability at the top has global economic repercussions.

The issue of personal conduct has been a recurring theme, particularly since the 2018 incident where Musk publicly smoked marijuana during an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. While that event caused a dip in stock price, the 2024 allegations involving harder substances like ketamine and stimulants suggest a far more serious pattern of behavior that directly calls his leadership into question.

The NASA and U.S. Government Factor

The most critical risk is arguably to SpaceX, which holds massive, multi-billion dollar contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense (DoD).

SpaceX's role as a primary provider for government missions, including astronaut transport to the International Space Station (ISS) and national security launches, places it under intense regulatory and security scrutiny. Any confirmed illegal drug use by the CEO of a major government contractor like SpaceX could jeopardize these crucial relationships and contracts, potentially leading to the loss of billions in revenue and stalling vital space programs.

National Security Vulnerability

The allegations have also raised concerns in the intelligence community. A former FBI agent, Johnathan Buma, suggested that Musk’s well-documented substance use could make him an "easy target" for foreign intelligence services, such as the Russian secret service. The risk is that a person with access to highly sensitive government and technological information, particularly related to Starlink satellite communications and advanced rocket technology, could be compromised or blackmailed.

Furthermore, one report indicated that Musk allegedly traveled with a "daily medication box" holding about 20 pills, including what were alleged to be stimulants. The combination of various substances, whether prescribed or not, further complicates the picture of a stable and reliable leader managing the world’s most advanced and strategically vital technology companies.

The Future: Scrutiny and Corporate Governance

The ongoing saga of Elon Musk’s alleged drug use has fundamentally shifted the conversation from his visionary genius to his personal conduct and its impact on corporate governance. The boards of directors at Tesla and X, and the government oversight bodies monitoring SpaceX, face unprecedented pressure to address these claims.

The questions remain: Can a leader whose personal life is subject to such intense scrutiny and allegations of substance abuse maintain the trust of investors, regulators, and the U.S. national security apparatus? While Musk continues to deny the most severe claims and highlights his extraordinary work ethic, the mere existence of these detailed, ongoing reports creates a cloud of uncertainty. The world is watching to see if the innovator who built an empire can successfully navigate the most serious personal crisis of his career, a crisis that has the potential to destabilize a significant portion of the global technology and aerospace industries.