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- Elon Musk uses drugs with board members of his companies, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Directors of Elon Musk's companies feel an "expectation" to use drugs with him, per The Journal.
- Financial ties to Musk's companies keep them from saying no or speaking out, The Journal reported.
Elon Musk has created a culture of peer pressure among his friends and business associates that encourages them to use drugs with him, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal that details how board members and directors of his various companies either participate in or enable his substance use to stay close to the billionaire.
At parties in recent years, Musk has been spotted taking ketamine recreationally through a nasal spray and drinking liquid ecstasy from a water bottle, The Journal reported, citing people who witnessed the drug use or were briefed about it.
Current and former Tesla and SpaceX directors and board members— some of whom have invested tens of millions of dollars in Musk's companies or have significant stock options tied to their roles — have also used drugs with him, per the report.
The "volume" of Musk's drug use has created a culture wherein his closest business associates fear losing their wealth and social status by upsetting the billionaire if they refuse to use drugs with him, The Journal reported.
Musk, his lawyer Alex Spiro, and representatives for Tesla and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Following a January 6 report by The Journal that detailed that the 52-year-old has used cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, and magic mushrooms over the years, Musk said in a post on X: "Whatever I'm doing, I should obviously keep doing it!"
Following the January report, which could potentially jeopardize Musk's security clearance as well as the billions of dollars of government contracts enjoyed by SpaceX as a defense contractor due to federal regulations on drug use, NASA said in a statement: "The agency does not have evidence of noncompliance from SpaceX on how the company addresses the drug- and alcohol-free workforce regulations."
Musk's reported drug use has been at the center of recent controversies after reporting from The Journal indicated a former director at Tesla was so concerned about Musk's drug use and unpredictable behavior that she chose not to stand for reelection to the electric car company's board.
SpaceX executives also worried Musk was on drugs during a "cringeworthy" all-hands meeting, in which the billionaire arrived nearly an hour late, rambling and slurring his words for about 15 minutes before the meeting was taken over by the spacecraft manufacturer's president.