Elon Musk Tries To Shut Down Drug Use Rumors With Negative Test Results, But Timeline Raises Eyebrows

Yahoo

6 hours ago

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is shutting down allegations of drug use by posting his clean test results.
Musk was seemingly prompted to share his result after a publication had claimed that he frequently used ketamine and psychedelics.
While Elon Musk released the test results to discredit the drug claims, it has only further fueled more speculation, especially due to the short detection window.
Musk fired back at The New York Times following their recent allegations of his "intense" drug use by posting drug test results showing he's clean across the board.
On Tuesday, June 17, Musk shared a screenshot via X (formerly Twitter), captioning it with a simple "lol."
The test, conducted by Fastest Labs of South Austin, lists "Elon Musk" as the donor and shows negative results for a range of substances, including ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamines.
Notably, the test was taken on June 11, nearly two weeks after The Times published a report alleging that the former White House advisor frequently used ketamine and psychedelics while supporting Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
While Musk shared the results as a rebuttal to The Times, its credibility as a rebuttal has been called into question.
Fastest Labs' website notes a key limitation: "urine drug tests can detect drugs that have been ingested within the last 2-10 days."
A clinic employee confirmed this to People Magazine, explaining that most substances exit the system quickly, except cannabis, which tends to linger longer.
They also emphasized that hair follicle tests offer a much broader detection range, capable of identifying drug use dating back up to 90 days, making them a more reliable option for assessing long-term patterns of use.
Reactions to Musk's drug test results have been mixed, with many expressing skepticism about the validity.
One more person commented, "The richest man in the world does not have the resources to cheat a piss test? Give me a break."
Another said, "Ketamine stays in your blood like 48h if you're a daily user, Mfer, you're not the first to game a drug test."
A third person noted, "Now do the same test but with your hair.... a urine test only says you didn't have drugs the last couple of days."
The New York Times also hit back at his post, writing, "Elon Musk is continuing to lash out because he doesn't like our reporting. Nothing that he's said or presented since our article about his drug use during the presidential campaign was published contradicts what we uncovered. We stand by our journalism."
The test came in response to a May 30 New York Times article alleging Musk had been using ketamine frequently throughout 2024, to the point it was damaging his bladder.
The claims surfaced as Musk ramped up financial and public support for Donald Trump's reelection campaign, donating nearly $275 million. The report also stated that Musk carried a pill box containing Adderall and used other psychedelics.
During a joint press conference with Trump, Musk was asked about the Times' report. He dismissed the publication's credibility and told the reporter to "move on." Later, he reiterated via social media that he does not use drugs.
Meanwhile, President Trump, speaking to reporters near Air Force One, said he wasn't aware of any drug use by Musk. "I'm not troubled by anything with Elon," he stated at the time. "I think he's fantastic."
Meanwhile, Musk's relationship with President Trump has unraveled, coinciding with the end of his role as a "special government employee" on May 30, the same day The New York Times published its story on Musk's alleged drug use.
In the days that followed, the tech billionaire launched into a social media offensive that severely strained his ties with the president.
During the outburst, which spanned a few days, Musk harshly criticized Trump's proposed "One Big, Beautiful Bill," calling it a "disgusting abomination." He went further, claiming credit for Trump's 2024 election win and even accusing the president of concealing Jeffrey Epstein-related files to protect himself—an accusation Musk later deleted.
On June 5, when asked to respond to Musk's online attacks, Trump expressed dismay. "Elon and I had a great relationship," he said, pointedly using the past tense. "I don't know if we will anymore."
By June 11, Musk appeared to reconsider his remarks. In a post published on X around 3 a.m. ET, he admitted feeling "regret" and noted that some of his criticisms had "gone too far."