Summary
Elon Musk is unlikely to receive the highest-level government security clearance due to concerns over drug use, foreign contacts, and potential risks of disclosing classified information, according to Wall Street Journal reports.
Musk, who holds “top-secret” clearance, has faced scrutiny for past drug use, including marijuana and alleged ketamine use, and reported contacts with Vladimir Putin since 2022.
SpaceX lawyers advised against seeking higher clearance, fearing denial and revocation of existing clearances.
While Musk may bypass traditional clearance under Trump’s incoming administration, he currently lacks access to SpaceX’s most classified projects.
Interesting that he doesnt have access to his own company’s project
Not that he should, but I would bet that’s less unusual than you would think. I imagine a lot of defence contractor CEOs are not given the clearance to access certain pieces of information that those working on the project have because some things need to be kept need-to-know.