Russia’s GRU Targeted Elon Musk Using Sex and Drugs, Ex-FBI Agent Claims
| 2025-05-18
Russia’s intelligence agency exploited Elon Musk’s private lifestyle in a covert influence campaign allegedly authorised by President Vladimir Putin, a former FBI agent has claimed.
A former FBI counterintelligence agent alleges Russian spies exploited Elon Musk’s lifestyle to gain influence, with Russian President Putin’s reported approval.
Russia’s intelligence agency exploited Elon Musk’s private lifestyle in a covert influence campaign allegedly authorised by President Vladimir Putin, a former FBI agent has claimed.
Jonathan Buma, a former counterintelligence officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told German broadcaster ZDF that Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, used personal vulnerabilities linked to sex, drugs, and luxury to target the billionaire entrepreneur and others in Silicon Valley.
According to Buma, these operations were part of a broader strategy by Russian intelligence to gain leverage over high-profile technology executives in the United States, including Musk and venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
"A deliberate operation"
“They would not have done so if Putin had not personally known about the action and approved it,” Buma said during an investigative documentary aired by ZDF.
He alleged that the GRU sought to collect compromising material—commonly referred to in Russian intelligence askompromat—that could be used to manipulate or influence the SpaceX and Tesla CEO.
“Musk’s susceptibility to promiscuous women and drug use, particularly ketamine, were seen by Russian intelligence as an opportunity for an agent to exploit,” Buma stated. He added that Musk’s well-documented interest in events like the Burning Man festival, adult entertainment, and gambling provided further entry points for intelligence operatives.
Buma also claimed that envoys sent to engage both Musk and Thiel offered direct channels of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I know that direct contact occurred between Musk and Putin—probably several times,” he said.
His comments align with a 2024Wall Street Journal report, which also noted alleged secret communications between Musk and the Russian president dating back to at least 2022.
Musk's shifting stance on Ukraine
Elon Musk’s role in the Ukraine conflict has been both pivotal and controversial. In the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Musk provided Ukraine’s military with free access to Starlink, a satellite internet system developed by his company SpaceX. The system was praised for helping maintain Ukrainian communications under wartime conditions.
However, Musk later raised concerns over the sustainability of the programme, publicly warning that continued support might be withdrawn. By 2024, he had become more critical of Ukraine’s leadership, aligning himself more closely with then-former and now-current United States President Donald Trump.
As of 2025, Musk serves as a senior adviser to President Trump and heads the Department of Government Efficiency, a body tasked with reducing bureaucratic spending across federal agencies.
Controversy surrounding the source
Jonathan Buma, who made the allegations, served for 16 years in the FBI’s counterintelligence division. His claims, however, come under a shadow of legal trouble. In March, he was arrested and charged with one count of “Disclosure of Confidential Information” for allegedly leaking classified material to a publishing firm. He is currently out on $100,000 bail.
Despite the criminal charges, Buma maintains that there is “a vast amount of evidence” supporting his claims. He did not disclose his sources during the documentary, and no independent verification of the specific allegations has yet been made public.
Russian intelligence operations under scrutiny
The GRU, or Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, is known for its clandestine and often aggressive intelligence activities abroad. It has been linked to a number of high-profile operations, including cyberattacks, poisonings of political opponents, and election interference in Western countries.
Analysts say the agency often seeks to exploit personal vulnerabilities of targets, including via romantic or financial entrapment, in efforts to gather compromising material for future leverage.
Intelligence, influence, and technology
The allegations come at a time of heightened scrutiny over the role of technology leaders in global politics. Figures like Elon Musk wield influence that spans not only innovation and business but also space, defence, and communication infrastructure.
Russia’s reported interest in gaining influence over such individuals highlights a modern evolution of Cold War-era espionage tactics—where the battlefield includes not just government agencies but also private-sector leaders whose decisions can carry geopolitical weight.
So far, neither Musk nor the Kremlin has publicly commented on the claims aired in the ZDF documentary. The FBI has also declined to respond to the allegations made by its former employee.
As the legal proceedings against Buma unfold, the credibility and implications of his claims are likely to remain under intense public and political scrutiny.
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