Silicon Valley Titans And Their Psychedelic Journeys: The Experiences That Shaped Them
In the high-pressure, constantly evolving world of Silicon Valley, some of the most influential leaders have turned to psychedelics in their search for creativity, personal growth and mental clarity. As Business Insider reported, from Apple’s (NASDAQ:APPL) visionary co-founder Steve Jobs to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and even Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, the use of mind-altering substances has played a significant, if often private, role in the development of the tech industry’s most powerful figures.
Steve Jobs: A “Profound Experience” In The Pursuit Of Purpose
The late Steve Jobs, widely celebrated for his role in revolutionizing technology, was outspoken about how his experiences with LSD shaped his worldview. Jobs spent his early 20s exploring the boundaries of consciousness through meditation, travel and psychedelics. His exploration of LSD, he later revealed, helped him discover a deeper sense of purpose that would define his career.
“I came of age at a magical time,” Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson, describing the counterculture of the 1960s and early ’70s. The entrepreneur went on to call his use of LSD “one of the most important things in my life,” emphasizing that it had been a profound experience. “It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could,” he said.
During a two-year period between 1972 and 1974, Jobs reportedly took LSD between 10 to 15 times, before ultimately stepping away from the drug. His time with psychedelics is often viewed as foundational to his radical thinking and his ability to see beyond the conventional constraints of business.