Elon Musk's Interview Under the Influence: New Revelations
A new report suggests that Elon Musk may have been 'under the influence' during an interview following his infamous tweet about taking Tesla private.
Concerns About Drug Use During the Tweet
According to The Wall Street Journal, Tesla board members were privately concerned that Elon Musk was on drugs when he tweeted about considering taking the company private in 2018. Musk's sudden announcement on Twitter shocked shareholders and caught board members off guard.
Despite earlier reports that Musk had discussed the matter with the board, it appears that some members privately expressed concerns about his drug use, leading to consideration of asking him to take a leave of absence.
Furthermore, the tweet referenced the number $420, which is associated with marijuana, raising more suspicion about Musk's state of mind.
Interview Revelations and Concerns
In an interview with The New York Times following the tweet, Musk revealed that leading Tesla had been an 'excruciating' experience and that the past year had been the most difficult and painful of his career.
The interview also discussed Tesla's board's concerns about Musk's use of Ambien and its potential contribution to his late-night tweeting habits. Sources familiar with the matter also mentioned that Musk may have been 'under the influence' during the interview, catching Tesla's communications team off guard.
While Musk stated that he doesn't like taking illegal drugs, he has previously admitted to using recreational drugs like marijuana and small doses of ketamine for depression.
Potential Consequences and Legal Issues
The 2018 tweet brought about its own set of consequences for Musk. The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into his statement, resulting in a lawsuit and $40 million in penalties. Additionally, Musk stepped down as Tesla chairman and the company appointed independent directors to its board.
It is worth noting that drug use may be commonplace among Silicon Valley power players, as reported by The Wall Street Journal last year. However, for someone like Musk, who relies on government contracts for his rocket company SpaceX, illegal drug use could be a cause for concern due to compliance regulations.
As of now, Musk's attorney has not provided a comment regarding these new revelations.
