Tesla CEO Elon Musk escalated his feud with The New York Times this week after the newspaper stood by its reporting alleging he used multiple illicit substances while supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
In a report published May 30, the Times cited private messages and interviews with more than a dozen sources who claimed Musk’s drug use was “more intense” than publicly known. The report alleged Musk consumed ketamine to the point it affected his bladder, took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms, and carried a daily pill organizer containing nearly 20 medications — including pills resembling Adderall.
Musk responded by publicly denouncing the report and posting drug test results on his X account, which he said showed he was clean. He also challenged both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal to publish the results of their own drug tests.
“Great idea. I hereby challenge the NYT and WSJ to take drug tests and publish the results! They won’t, because those hypocrites are guilty as sin,” Musk wrote on X.
The Times responded by accusing Musk of continuing to “lash out” and reaffirmed its reporting.
“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 newspaper’s communications account posted on X.
This is not the first time Musk has pushed back against the story. The day after the article was published, he accused the Times of “lying their a– off” and insisted he hadn’t used ketamine “in years.”
The exchange highlights an ongoing public spat between the billionaire tech entrepreneur and major news organizations over coverage he claims is unfair or politically motivated.
With input from Fox News.
