One of the most talked-about moments in the history of The Joe Rogan Experience is still Elon Musk‘s 2018 appearance, which made major headlines. At the moment, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla casually smoked w— while speaking with the UFC commentator, sparking a flurry of outrage. The consequences for the Tesla CEO stretched well beyond public opinion, even though the intoxicant was legal in California, where the podcast was recorded. Years later, Joe Rogan remembered the incident with former NFL player Antonio Brown and revealed how Elon Musk got into major trouble for a seemingly casual act.

On JRE #2286, “Seen you get high with Elon Musk on here; he hit the joint,” Brown recalled in jest, to which Rogan promptly replied, “Allegedly.” After chuckling, the NFL star said, “Yeah, allegedly, I like that.”

Emphasizing why he called it an ‘alleged’ act, Joe Rogan admitted to Musk’s problems that came after the episode aired. “He got in trouble for that.” Rogan clarified, “He got in trouble for that. Cause he has top-secret clearance.”

He said, “We can’t show that on YouTube anymore. YouTube is taking some precautions, protecting people from themselves,” referring to the fact that YouTube now prohibits such content.

It is worth noting that Elon Musk later revealed there were severe repercussions for what he had done. The tech tycoon had to undergo random d— tests for years to prove that he was not a regular d— user because SpaceX had federal contracts. Musk told writer Walter Isaacson, “SpaceX was a NASA contractor, and they are big believers in the law. So I had to be subjected to random drug tests for a couple of years.”

Back then, Elon Musk was already under pressure following his infamous “$420” tweet about taking Tesla private, leading to an SEC probe and a $40 million fine. After his JRE episode aired, Tesla’s stock dropped more than 9%. So, it sure looks like the X CEO had to pay a major price for that one little moment of fun.

However, this was only one of several major controversies Musk had found himself in. Another major recent incident was his infamous ‘salute’ that surely made headlines for all the wrong reasons. But why did he decide to pull off the infamous act? Let’s find out.

Elon Musk reveals to Joe Rogan the reason behind the ‘Salute’

Elon Musk is not new to controversy, as evidenced by the aforementioned 2018 JRE incident. However, one of the most recent scandals involving the billionaire emerged following Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. During the event, the Tesla CEO energetically waved his hand, which some misinterpreted as a Nazi salute.

The criticism was instantaneous, with media outlets and social media users questioning the gesture. Finally, in response to the controversy on The Joe Rogan Experience, Elon Musk expressed disbelief at the misinterpreted moment.

“It was obviously meant in the most positive spirit possible,” Musk told Joe Rogan. “Now, I can never point at things diagonally. I can only point at things there and there, and then I say you have to divide that because that’s where the spaceship is, over there. That’s ridiculous.”

The Tesla CEO, a renowned Trump supporter, acknowledged being caught up in the moment’s excitement. But the media firestorm that followed turned his innocent gesture into a major public relations nightmare.

However, having faced such issues in the past, Musk dismissed the outcry as part of a larger agenda. Despite the criticism, Elon Musk has remained firm in his actions and motives, claiming the backlash was exaggerated and fueled by people seeking to destroy him. “It’s deliberate propaganda… It was obviously not meant in a negative way. I literally said, ‘My heart goes out to you,’ and it was very positive,” he added.

But what do you think? Was it really all a part of a propaganda? Let us know in the comments.