Elon Musk posts clean drug test, New York Times stands by drug use report
Elon Musk is pushing back against recent allegations of drug abuse, including those detailed in a New York Times report, by publicly sharing results from a recent drug test. The billionaire posted the results on X early Tuesday morning, June 17. The test, reportedly taken during the week of June 8, came back negative for nearly two dozen substances, including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy. Musk captioned the post with a simple “lol.”
The New York Times responds
The New York Times responded to Musk’s post, stating that the test does not disprove its earlier reporting in May. The outlet’s communications team said on X Musk “is continuing to lash out because he doesn’t like” what was published, and reaffirmed its earlier claims.
The Times reported in a May 30 article that, citing anonymous sources, Musk had “developed a far more serious drug habit,” alleging he used ketamine “often — sometimes daily.” The article also claimed he took ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms.
Pattern of clashes between Musk and media
Tuesday’s back-and-forth is not the first time Musk and the Times have traded shots on social media over the reporting.
This also isn’t the first time Musk has publicly denied accusations of drug abuse. In January 2024, The Wall Street Journal published a report stating Musk had used illegal drugs, including LSD, cocaine, mushrooms, ecstasy and ketamine — reportedly raising concerns among leaders at two of his companies.
Musk denied the Journal’s claims at the time and doubled down on his criticism Tuesday, mocking the outlet with a meme and daring both the Journal and the Times staff to take drug tests themselves.
The Wall Street Journal did not comment on Musk’s recent test results.
Musk previously prescribed ketamine
Musk has acknowledged being prescribed ketamine to treat depression in an interview from March 2024. The recent public feud is just the latest in a series of disputes between Trump-aligned figures and mainstream news outlets.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
