Is Elon Musk a national security threat?
Elon Musk is no ordinary billionaire. He’s the world’s richest man, the head of multiple frontier technologies, a chainsaw-wielding exhibitionist, and direct advisor to President Trump. That alone raises concerns. But add in his deep financial ties to China, his influence over U.S. defense infrastructure, and his alleged ketamine use, and those concerns increase exponentially.
When we think of national security threats, we think of foreign adversaries, spies, rogue actors and hostile governments. We think of cyberattacks, intelligence leaks and backdoor deals made in smoky rooms. But what if one of the greatest risks isn’t an outsider trying to break in, but rather an insider so deeply enmeshed in America’s technological and defense systems that his personal interests could compromise the entire structure? One could argue that this is the risk posed by Elon Musk.
The 53-year-old’s relationship with China is lucrative; it's also dangerous. He has long heaped praise on the Chinese Communist Party, calling the Chinese “smart” and “hardworking.” Musk has even parroted Beijing’s talking points on Taiwan, likening it to Hawaii. Unlike other Western CEOs who take a more cautious stance, Musk’s demeanor is clearly deferential, even sycophantic.
Why? Because China holds significant leverage over him.
Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory exists because the Chinese Communist Party greenlit it. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his colleagues offer Tesla rare privileges not afforded to other foreign automakers. In turn, Tesla relies on China for manufacturing, battery production and a massive chunk of its revenue. Tesla’s presence in China is a privilege, not a right; the moment Musk falls out of favor with Beijing, it can all be taken away. If the Chinese Communist Party were to pull the plug, Tesla’s valuation would plummet. That alone is concerning.
However, as readers know all too well, Musk isn’t just producing cars.
His private ventures — SpaceX, Neuralink, xAI — control technologies with direct military applications. And according to the Financial Times, wealthy Chinese investors have been quietly pouring tens of millions into these firms. They’re doing so through special-purpose vehicles, legal structures designed to shield their identities from scrutiny.
Three China-backed asset managers admitted to selling over $30 million worth of shares in SpaceX, xAI, and Neuralink to anonymous investors in the last two years. The real figure could be much higher.
This should concern all Americans, regardless of their political affiliations. China operates under a fundamentally different economic mode to the U.S. One where private industry and state interests are deeply intertwined. Any Chinese investor, particularly those with access to significant capital, is subject to Beijing’s influence, if not outright control. If the Communist Party decides it needs access to a specific technology, it has ample tools — legal and extralegal — to extract cooperation from any company with Chinese funding.
And Musk’s companies are particularly valuable targets. SpaceX’s Starlink system has already played a critical role in military operations, most notably in Ukraine, where it has provided battlefield communications independent of terrestrial infrastructure. But Musk has also demonstrated a willingness to unilaterally restrict access, at one point denying Ukraine coverage near Crimea to avoid escalating tensions with Russia.
If China gains even indirect influence over Starlink through its financial backchannels, it raises urgent questions. For instance, could Beijing pressure Musk to restrict or deny access to U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific during a conflict over Taiwan?
Neuralink presents another, more insidious risk. Brain-machine interface technology is still in its infancy, but its potential military applications are profound — from human performance enhancement to next-generation cyberwarfare capabilities. If China-backed investors have access, even peripherally, to Neuralink’s breakthroughs, it could accelerate Beijing’s own bio-digital research, a field in which the Chinese military has already expressed interest.
Then there’s xAI.
Artificial intelligence is fast becoming the new arms race. Musk’s ambition to challenge OpenAI puts him in direct competition with U.S. national security priorities. If Chinese money is filtering into xAI through shadow investments, it creates an unseen pathway for Beijing to influence the development of next-generation AI models — ones that could be used in autonomous weapons systems, cybersecurity and intelligence gathering.
To be absolutely clear, China doesn’t just want to compete with the United States in these fields; it wants to dominate them. And it doesn’t play fair. Beijing is notorious for forcing Western companies into joint ventures, extracting intellectual property and using economic leverage to manipulate decision-making.
Yet Musk, for all his supposed brilliance, has positioned himself in such a way that China can exert enormous influence over his empire — without ever needing to threaten or hack a single system.
Then there’s the personal issue.
Musk has admitted to using ketamine to treat depression. But there are reports that his use extends beyond medical purposes and into recreational indulgence. The Atlantic recently explored the effects of long-term ketamine use, citing research from Celia Morgan, a leading expert in psychopharmacology.
Her extensive study followed 120 frequent ketamine users over a year. The results were damning.
Every participant suffered profound memory issues. They became increasingly dissociated from reality. They exhibited signs of delusional thinking.
Ketamine is not some mild, benign substance. Unlike traditional antidepressants, it acts on the brain in ways that can distort perception. Chronic ketamine consumption has been linked to extreme paranoia and even psychosis.
Musk has direct influence over U.S. military assets, AI research and advanced neurotechnology.
Suppose his ketamine use is anything beyond occasional therapeutic doses. In that case, it means Musk is functioning under the influence of a dissociative anesthetic while making decisions that could shape geopolitics, warfare and technological advancement.
The precedent here is unthinkable. If a top general, a CIA director or a Cabinet-level official were known to be abusing a hallucinogenic drug, they would be immediately removed from their position. And for good reason.
Yet, rather incredibly, Musk, a man with arguably more power than many high-ranking government officials, faces no such scrutiny.
This isn’t about moralizing drug use; it’s about the security of each and every American. A man whose mind appears to be chemically altered by a substance known to cause delusions should not be dictating the future of America’s most sensitive technologies. A mentally compromised individual with financial vulnerabilities tied to a hostile foreign power is not just a liability.
It’s a national security crisis waiting to happen.
John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores culture, society and the impact of technology on daily life.
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