Elon Musk dares NYT, WSJ to take drug tests after posting his own negative results

Elon Musk has publicly challenged The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to take drug tests and publish their results, just days after he posted a clean drug screening report to refute allegations made by what he calls “legacy media.”


The move comes in response to a New York Times exposé from last month, which alleged Musk, who has been a top donor and close ally of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, used substances including ketamine, ecstasy, and magic mushrooms. The report cited unnamed sources claiming familiarity with Musk’s behavior.

On Tuesday, Musk escalated the standoff by sharing what he claims are official results from a urine drug test conducted on June 11 by “Fastest Labs of South Austin,” Texas. The lab report, posted on X (formerly Twitter), shows negative results for a range of substances including amphetamines, MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, cannabinoids, and fentanyl.

Musk captioned the post with a pointed jab: “Since legacy media won’t retract their false claims, I invite @nytimes and @WSJ to take a drug test and publish their results too.”

However, critics have noted that urine tests can only detect drug use within a short window, typically a few days, whereas hair follicle tests can detect usage up to three months prior. The original Times report referenced alleged substance use earlier in 2024, which would not be detected in Musk’s June sample.

Musk has previously acknowledged using prescription ketamine “a few years ago,” claiming it helped him cope with mental health issues, but denied any recent use. “This is not even news,” he posted. “It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.” He also accused The New York Times of “lying.”