Elon Musk's Latest Drug Test Drama
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Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla, X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink. I'm your host, Will Walden. So why would Elon Musk, already under scrutiny for alleged drug use, accidentally reveal personal information in the midst of attempting to clear his own name about said drug abuse?

Now, it became relevant after Musk inadvertently exposed the last four digits of his social security number while publicly sharing results of a drug test on X. Musk aimed to disprove accusations about his substance use following a detailed New York Times report.

And the report indicated that Musk regularly consumed substances like ketamine, ecstasy, Adderall, and psychedelic mushrooms, raising concerns about his health and decision-making ability as the CEO of numerous companies. Now, Musk reacted by promptly sharing evidence of drug-free test results online, though the disclosure backfired with unintended privacy risks.

The initial New York Times investigation provided explicit allegations about Musk's personal drug regimen, particularly highlighting extensive ketamine use, which reportedly contributed to ongoing bladder issues.

Now, Musk, who's known for outspoken defenses online, retaliated by publicly posting a urine test first. The test appeared to clear Musk of various substances, including cocaine, marijuana, opioids, amphetamines, and established a clean record in the immediate aftermath. However, he was not content with the singular confirmation that

Subsequently, sharing results from a hair follicle analysis. Now, Musk openly challenged the journalists from The Times and The Wall Street Journal, sarcastically demanding they undergo similar tests to substantiate their own personal sobriety, called them out. Yet Musk's aggressive strategy to silence media criticisms inadvertently compromised his own private data.

The social media post on X with the hair follicle test result inadvertently exposed partial identification details, specifically Musk's social security digits.

This exposure potentially enables cyber criminals to exploit his personal information, enhancing risks for identity theft and for fraud. Despite Musk's longstanding emphasis on personal security, evidence through significant security measures, including an extensive team of deputized bodyguards, this oversight showcased vulnerability even among influential public figures. Now, following Musk's public assertions, the New York Times issued a firm rebuttal,

defending the accuracy and integrity of their reporting. The publication emphasized consistency in their findings, arguing Musk's public disclosures neither negated nor disproved the documentation allegations.

Instead, the media outlets suggested Musk's visible anger and accusations against journalists stem from discomfort over personal revelations rather than factual inaccuracies. The defensive stance adopted by Musk reflects ongoing tensions between media transparency and also the public expectations of CEOs like Elon Musk.

Now, this accidental data leak is not Musk's first issue with personal privacy breaches, though. Historically protective over his information and safety, Musk once temporarily banned several journalists from Twitter. He argued their reporting on public available flight paths of his private jet compromised his safety, likening it to publishing assassination coordinations.

Musk has continually stressed the gravity of privacy and safety threats, a position somewhat undermined by his latest mishandling of sensitive personal information and his vert puddle.

Notably, Musk's recent privacy slip coincides with broader controversies involving his previous government role as leader of Doge. His departure from Doge triggered a heated fallout from Donald Trump, and the disagreement culminated publicly with Trump labeling Musk a big-time addict, claiming Musk struggles with significant personal issues related to drug use.

This exchange further intensifies the media scrutiny around Musk's behavior, prompting Musk's increasingly defensive public measures to assert his sobriety and professional capacity.

Moreover, independent reporting from the Wall Street Journal in 2023 and early 2024 corroborated allegations of Musk's frequent recreational drug use, specifically naming substances like LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelics. These detailed reports reinforced a narrative of substance abuse, bolstering credibility to claims initially published by the New York Times.

Musk, conversely, framed these substances not as recreational but medicinal, particularly regarding ketamine, which he publicly acknowledged taking biweekly in controlled medicinal dosages prescribed to manage depressive episodes. And Musk publicly addressed the controlled nature of his ketamine use during a revealing 2024 interview with former CNN journalist Don Lemon. He explained the dosage as minimal, intended strictly for medical purposes.

Now, Musk also said that excessive ketamine consumption impairs functionality or risk incompatible with his demanding professional responsibilities. These public statements aim to counterbalance narrative extremes, portraying himself neither as reckless nor irresponsible in his substance management, but rather as a responsible adult pursuing medical treatments within control parameters.

However, despite Musk's robust public efforts, concerns about verifying these test results linger. Musk conducted drug testing at Fastest Labs of South Austin, Texas, choosing facilities independent of third-party oversight.

Without neutral verification, public trust in Musk's test results remains understandably limited, undermining their ultimate effectiveness as reliable evidence against accusations. Now, Musk, despite multiple public statements and privately conducting drug tests, faces scrutiny regarding his personal habits exacerbated further by his inadvertent sharing of sensitive personal data.

This incident exemplifies complexities inherent in publicly counteracting private accusations, particularly in heightened media attention. Now, do you think that Elon Musk posting his social security digits is a security risk? And also, do you think he may have been on some substances when he posted this?

not even knowing that he posted his own digits. Let me know if there's a comment section on your podcast platform. Test, test, check one, two. You know you need Unique New York. You know you need Unique New York. Does that sound all right? Ah, that's better. You can always tell something's missing when you get isolated results.

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