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,
and I'm your host, Will Walden. NASA has recently addressed
claims about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's alleged illegal drug use,
stating that they have no evidence of non compliance
regarding drug and alcohol free workplace regulations.
Now this statement was a direct response to inquiries about Elon
Musk's behavior which has been under scrutiny, especially
following his on air weed use in 2018 and his public endorsements
of substances like ketamine and psychedelics for public mental
health treatments are The allegations against Musk include
unverified insider claims of his use of substances ranging from
cocaine to LSD. Now, these reports have raised
concerns about his leadership and behavior, and in response,
NASA, which has significant contracts with his rocket
company SpaceX, has had to examine these allegations
closely due to federal government standards regarding
drug use, and according to NASA, it's contracted companies like
SpaceX are responsible for ensuring their employees comply
with drug free workplace regulations.
This includes employees in sensitive positions, which would
presumably include Musk given his high profile role and
influence within SpaceX. Now there's speculation about
the process SpaceX uses to collect and test Musk drug
samples, though the speculation includes questions about the
reliability and the integrity of the testing processes,
essentially considering Musk's high status within the company.
Now, Business Insider had a report last month, and a further
investigation revealed that NASA has been somewhat secretive
about the findings of their drug use probe as SpaceX.
This secrecy has led to more speculation that if Musk is
using drugs, he's managing to do so without detection by
government authorities. Now, NASA spent three months
reviewing Spacex's adherence to a drug free workplace following
Musk's appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast in 2018, where he is
seen smoking marijuana. Results of this investigation,
obtained by Business Insider through the Freedom of
Information Act, were heavily redacted, leaving the findings
very unclear. The Organizational Safety
Assessment by NASA was initiated after reports surfaced that Musk
was micro dosing ketamine, and the Wall Street Journal's report
on this matter prompted new questions about Musk's drug use.
NASA initially denied having records of the assessments
results. However, after Business Insider
pointed out the $5,000,000 taxpayer funded probe, NASA
released some documents related to the investigation.
But they were heavily censored and the probe, which included
interviews with 296 SpaceX employees, covered SpaceX
facilities across the United States.
Despite its extensive nature and the high cost, the results were
kept confidential with NASA concerns over harming Spacex's
competitive posture or business interests.
Now, William Gerstmeyer, the NASA administrator who requested
the review, emphasize the importance of safety in the
United States space program and the need for SpaceX to maintain
a drug free workplace. Now, Gerstenmeyer later joined
SpaceX as the Vice President of Build and flight Reliability,
and Elon has publicly responded to allegations of drug use,
particularly in light of the Wall Street Journal report.
He stated that three years of random testing found no traces
of drug use in his system. Musk criticize the Wall Street
Journal report, dismissing it as very inaccurate, and concerns
over Musk's drug use are not just limited to external
reports. Senior figures within Musk's own
companies have expressed worries, with a Tesla board
director reportedly stepping down due to these concerns.
And incidents like Musk's tweet about taking Tesla private have
also raised questions about his state of mind during significant
business decisions. Musk's appearance on Joe Rogan's
podcast where he smoked weed, led to a $5,000,000 NASA
investigation at a drug use at SpaceX in.
The results, and the implications of the
investigation remain largely unknown to the public, and
following the Rogan incident, Musk and SpaceX employees were
now subject to random drug tests for a year.
This was in compliance with federal requirements for
companies working with the government, highlighting the
strict, very strict standards that federal contractors must
adhere to. And Musk has maintained that he
does not engage in illegal drug use, emphasizing his dislike for
such substances. This claim stands in contrast to
the various reports and allegations that have surfaced
over the years, creating a dichotomy between Musk's public
persona and the rumors surrounding his personal life.
The controversy surrounding Musk's alleged drug use and
NASA's response illustrates the complex relationship between
high profile individuals, their personal conduct, and their
professional responsibilities, especially when government
contracts and public safety are involved.
And the odd growing scrutiny of Musk's behavior in NASA's
investigation into Spacex's drug free workplace compliance
continue to be subjects of interest both within the space
industry and among the general public and reporters as well.
And the outcome of these investigations and Musk's
responses will likely have significant effects on Spacex's
future operations and its relationships with NASA.
As of right now, Elon and the rest of the SpaceX crew are free
and clear to continue doing what they do Now, while NASA's
statement and the subsequent investigations have not
definitively resolved questions about Elon Musk's alleged drug
use, they've highlighted the importance of maintaining
stringent standards in high stakes industries like space
exploration. The issue remains a topic of
public and professional debate, reflecting the challenges of
balancing personal freedoms with professional responsibilities in
highly regulated sectors. Hey, thank you so much for
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I'll see you tomorrow.