Elon Musk's drug use is so worrying that a Tesla director decided not to run for re-election

Business Insider Germany Elon Musk's drug use is so worrying that a Tesla director decided not to run for re-election Article by Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert,Hannah Getahun • 5 hours The Wall Street Journal reported that Linda Johnson Rice, a former Tesla director, did not seek re-election to the company's board because of concerns about Elon Musk's drug use. The Wall Street Journal reported that Linda Johnson Rice, a former Tesla director, did not seek re-election to the company's board because of concerns about Elon Musk's drug use. A former Tesla director was so concerned about Elon Musk's drug use and erratic behavior that she did not seek re-election to the electric car company's board, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Linda Johnson Rice, who served a two-year term on the company's board, confided in Tesla board members on more than one occasion and discussed her concerns surrounding his drug use. Rice also asked informally whether the board should investigate Musk's drug use. This includes ketamine, LSD, cocaine and ecstasy, according to people familiar with the matter. But their concerns were ignored, according to the magazine. The WSJ's extensive report details how executives at Musk's company cope with his drug use and erratic public appearances and statements. At Tesla, some of the current directors have sought help from Musk's brother Kimbal because of his behavior. As the WSJ reports, they were careful not to use the word "drugs." “Financing secured” According to the WSJ, others have speculated that the billionaire businessman was under the influence of drugs when he tweeted in 2018 that he had "secured financing" to take the auto company private at a price of $420 per share. The tweet, which sent Tesla shares soaring 6 percent the next day, triggered an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These in turn led to $40 million in fines against Musk, even though he admitted no wrongdoing. Musk told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he "really" doesn't do illegal drugs. But he also said that he takes ketamine in microdoses. He was seen using the drug recreationally and publicly stated that ketamine, taken occasionally, was "a better option" than treating depression with SSRIs (antidepressants). He also smoked weed with Joe Rogan while filming an episode of Rogan's podcast, which led NASA to initiate a safety review of SpaceX. According to Musk, this resulted in the entire company having to undergo drug testing for a year. Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, but a lawyer for the world's richest man told the WSJ that Musk is "regularly and randomly tested for drugs at SpaceX and has never failed a test."