With some of the things that come out of his mouth, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise but apparently Elon Musk and other major tech executives in Silicon Valley are frequent users of illegal drugs. The Wall Street Journal put out a shocking report this week detailing just how rampant the use of drugs such as magic mushrooms, LSD and ketamine is in Silicon Valley. Maybe the most stunning part of the report is that these tech executives don't really consider themselves to have a drug “problem,” but rather are making these drugs an important part of their business strategy.

Elon Musk specifically is singled out for his practice of microdosing the drug ketamine, which doctors primarily use as an anesthetic (although it is sometimes prescribed to treat depression or post-traumatic stress disorder). The article cites witnesses who have seen Elon Musk take the drug, and others who have direct knowledge that he takes it. He apparently has told people he microdoses ketamine for depression, and also takes full doses of ketamine at parties.

After online publication of the article, Elon Musk tweeted “Depression is overdiagnosed in the US, but for some people it really is a brain chemistry issue. But zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much.” Musk continued that “From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option.”

Musk is far from the only powerful tech executive who plays doctor and makes up his own rules about dosing and medication. Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, sometimes enjoys magic mushrooms. The venture-capital firm Founders Fund, known for its investments in SpaceX and Facebook, also reportedly has executives who throw psychedelic parties.

It's true that clinical work is being performed right now by doctors and researchers seeking new solutions for mental-health problems, but tech executives and employees have taken matters into their own hands — seeing psychedelics and similar substances, like psilocybin, ketamine and LSD, as gateways to business breakthroughs.

However, the drugs have also been the cause of overdoses and addictions for other tech executives — because self-diagnosing can easily lead to drug abuse. (A similar controversy is brewing in Hollywood, where many celebrities have been linked to the controversial diabetes drug Ozempic — which is being used off-label and ill-advised as a weight-loss medicine.)

The bombshell Wall Street Journal article is sure to have ramifications throughout the tech world and beyond, particularly for Elon Musk and other like-minded executives.