Pioneering Silicon Valley Visionaries Turning to Psychedelics for Innovation
Silicon Valley’s Psychedelic Pulse
Across the tech landscape, a growing cohort of founders and executives are exploring psychedelics such as LSD, ayahuasca, and MDMA to spark creativity and drive their ventures.
Beyond the Big Names
- Pioneers like Peter Thiel and Y Combinator are investing in startups dedicated to psychedelic science.
- Entrepreneurs are using substances to unlock new perspectives and foster collaboration.
- While still niche, the movement is gaining traction among a select circle of innovators.
What We Know
Key figures who have experimented with psychedelics include:
- High‑profile tech leaders that are actively engaging with research and product development.
- Startups that are drawing attention from major backers eager to advance the field.
Conversely, a sizable number of prominent tech figures remain uninterested or cautious about engaging with psychedelics.
Why It Matters
As the psychedelic arena evolves, the influence of Silicon Valley’s tech elite is shaping both the scientific journey and the business opportunities that lie ahead.
Steve Jobs
A Quest for Purpose in the Late 20s
The Early Life of Apple’s Co‑Founder
Steve Jobs, the visionary who co‑founded Apple, openly discussed the pivotal moments that shaped his identity in his early twenties. He combined meditation, travel, and occasionally drug use in a quest for meaning.
A Magical Era
The Drive for Creation Over Money
Jobs emphasized that his drug‑induced insight reaffirmed his priorities:
The LSD Period
Summary of Jobs’ LSD Experience
What We Can Learn
Steve Jobs’ reflections on LSD illustrate:
Key Takeaways
Sam Altman
Sam Altman Describes Psychedelics as “Life‑Changing”
The OpenAI founder recently revealed that he used to struggle with anxiety and unhappiness, but a “weekend‑long retreat in Mexico” helped him become calmer and more content.
Key Points from the Podcast
- Altman says he once feared a holiday in Mexico would be “unremarkable”, yet it “really did” transform his outlook.
- His past psychedelic trips at Burning Man were rare and less impactful.
- He believes the most transformative experiences are guided retreats where he travels specifically for the session.
Business Interests in Psychedelics
Altman has invested in several medical startups, one of which — Journey Colab — focuses on creating clinical psychedelic therapies for addiction.
Takeaway
For Altman, psychedelics shifted him from an anxious, frustrated state to a calm, confident mindset, and he’s now steered his entrepreneurial energy toward therapeutic applications.
Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin’s Quiet Psychedelic Pivot
Unconfirmed Details
Official silence: Brin has not issued a public statement, and Business Insider’s request for comment went unanswered.
Background Chords
- Burning Man buddies: Brin and Eric Schmidt once rolled into the desert in hopes that Schmidt would pull the reins of Google.
- Philanthropic footnote: He backs Catalyst4, a nonprofit that has earmarked $15 million for Soneira, a start‑up exploring hallucinogenic mental‑health therapy.
Key Ingredients
Psilocybin puzzle: According to the Wall Street Journal, Brin has reportedly taken psilocybin—the active component in magic mushrooms. Yet the story remains a rumor without a confirmation from the co‑founder.
Strategic Mindset
While the headline buzz revolves around psychedelic experiments, the underlying narrative points to Brin’s long‑term investment in emerging therapeutic technologies, positioning him as a forward‑looking thinker in both tech and mental‑health arenas.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates’ Early Experiments with Psychedelics
Before turning Microsoft into a tech empire and later establishing a vast philanthropic foundation, Bill Gates engaged with a few psychedelic substances during his teenage years and early college life.
High School Hints
- When Gates was a senior, his high school friend Paul Allen invited him to try acid. Gates declined at first.
- Later, on the day of his senior year graduation, he decided to experiment, describing the first session as “exhilarating.”
College LSD Episodes
During college, Gates revisited LSD once more for a friend’s birthday party. He called the experience “cosmic” and reflected on how the mind could act like a computer, deleting memories. Gates noted this would be one of the last times he would take LSD.
Public Talks
Gates publicly addressed his psychedelic history on two notable platforms:
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Gates recounted an anecdote about Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, who had suggested tackling design challenges by “taking acid.” Gates clarified that Jobs had acquired a code batch that “helped with design,” not design itself.
- Source Code: My Beginnings – Gates explored his drug history in his autobiographical memoir.
One tech exec who says he has no interest in ever trying LSD? Google’s Demis Hassabis
DeepMind Chief Demis Hassabis Declares Psychedelics Not a Solution
In a recent interview, the AI pioneer and Google DeepMind CEO shared his perspective on why he steers clear of psychedelic substances.
Key Takeaways
- Gaming and science fiction – Hassabis credits immersive gaming and speculative novels as primary sources of insight into reality.
- Neuroscience expertise – With a robust background in brain science, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining mental sharpness for his AI endeavors.
- LSD concerns – The executive admits he’s apprehensive about LSD’s potential effects on his mental acuity.
Why Hassabis Avoids LSD
Throughout the conversation, he remarked:
- “I’ve done too much neuroscience.”
- “I’ve fine‑tuned my mind to think in this way.”
- “I need it for where I’m going.”
Ultimately, Demis Hassabis believes that the most reliable path to understanding reality lies in rigorous science, rather than altered states of consciousness.