Viral post claims that 8 tech CEOs quit their jobs after taking psychedelic drugs

Austen Allred, the San Francisco-based CEO and co-founder of BloomTech claimed that eight Silicon Valley CEOs have resigned from their positions after experimenting with psychedelic drugs. For those unaware, Psychedelic drugs have been used across different cultures for spiritual and healing purposes. Recently, there has been a renewed focus on their potential therapeutic applications, particularly in the areas of mental health and self-discovery.
The post, which has been widely shared on X (formerly Twitter), alleges that these high-ranking executives at prominent tech companies decided to leave their jobs following their experiences with psychedelics.While the post does not provide specific names or companies.
“Of the Silicon Valley founders I know who went on some of the psychedelic self-discovery trips, almost 100% quit their jobs as CEO within a year. Could be random anecdotes, but be careful with that stuff,” posted Allred on X.
Responding to a post by X user Ashlee Vance, the CEO of BloomTech claimed that a venture capitalist had told him, "Ayahuasca has caused us to lose several promising founders. They came back to work with a lack of motivation."
In the comments section of the post, Allred stated that he was aware of eight CEOs who had resigned from their jobs after using psychedelics. When asked, "How many do you think are happier now?", he replied that four of them seemed content after stepping down as CEOs.
Here are some user reactions to the viral post.
‘I'd guess there's some pretty significant selection bias bc leaving a co you're founder-ceo of is so scary? so some part of them wanted to leave, but they were too scared, and so did a self-discovery trip as a way to propel them? that's at least the common story I hear’

‘Of the Silicon Valley founders I know who lied to students about job placement rates and loan dets, almost 100% quit their jobs as CEO within a year. Could be random anecdotes, but be careful with that stuff.’

‘Land shark with one of the greatest of all time’

‘Being a CEO is meaningless if other parts of your life are not fulfilling. This becomes quite obvious when you have deep (and often traumatic) experiences. Quitting then becomes the natural next step. Life is not about status.’