A retired FBI agent just revealed that Elon Musk's publicized indulgence in promiscuity and drug taking put him in the vulnerable position of being an easy target for Russian intelligence, particularly since the war broke out in Ukraine.
As per the retired Counterintelligence Special Agent Jonathan Buma, Musk has been one of the primary targets of Russia because of these personal weaknesses.
Buma also identified PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel as an important Russian target. The two men were later identified as possible leverage points for blackmail operations by intelligence.
During an interview with German broadcaster ZDF for a documentary, Buma described how Musk's interests in sex, drugs, and promiscuous women made him especially vulnerable. His enjoyment of the Burning Man desert party, adult entertainment, and gambling gave Russian agents what Buma termed a "possible entry point" to take advantage of.
"Musk's vulnerability to loose women and drug use, specifically ketamine… were perceived by Russian intelligence as a potential for an agent to take advantage of," Buma said in the documentary.
But Buma didn't go on to reveal the sources of this intelligence connecting Musk and Putin as targets.
"I'm not permitted to speak about the specifics of how we did get this information. There is a huge body of evidence to back up this fact," he stated. When questioned if there was evidence of it, Buma affirmed, "There is definitely evidence for it."
Elon Musk's Relationships with Vladimir Putin
Buma, who served in the FBI’s special counterintelligence division for 16 years, revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself orchestrated contact attempts with both Thiel and Musk. He emphasized that without Putin’s direct involvement or approval, such blackmail schemes would have no justification.
Elon Musk's connection to Ukraine has been complicated. During the breakout of the war in 2022, Musk at first stood in solidarity with Kyiv, providing Starlink satellite internet access for free to the Ukrainian military. Later on, he threatened to pull out from this support.
Previous articles in The Wall Street Journal previously pointed to the fact that Putin and Musk have been talking to each other since at least 2022, after the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.
Buma refused to disclose how he managed to come up with such information, stating that doing so would amount to a "criminal offense."
Buma was arrested in March and charged by federal prosecutors with one count of "Disclosure of Confidential Information" for leaking confidential information to a publishing agency. He was released later on a $100,000 bail.
