Why Does Elon Musk Use The Number 420 So Much?

Elon Musk never fails to give people something to talk about. More recently, he pitched an offer to purchase the microblogging social media platform Twitter for $43 billion. 

The self-proclaimed free speech absolutist wanted to purchase the website to promote independence and freedom of speech while hopefully removing censorship on legal, need-to-be-talked-about topics like cannabis. 

Musk, worth $259 billion (according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index), has presented his slight fondness for marijuana on several occasions. Whether he’s being serious or playing around with followers in a cheeky, whimsical way, Musk has chosen to use the number 420 in oddly different ventures. 

According to The Street, we first saw the Tesla founder bring 420 to the masses when he tweeted a few years ago that he’s “considering taking Tesla private at $420.”

When he pitched his offer to purchase Twitter for $43 billion, that would add up to $54.20 per share, with emphasis on the last three digits. It’s almost like with every purchase, investment, or news-worthy announcement. The SpaceX founder looks to poke fun at the seriousness of each endeavor. 

He’s done so by adding a nerdy meme, a reference to 420 cannabis culture, or simply just letting everyone know that he has a sense of humor. 

The Street points out that 420 might be Elon’s lucky number, considering it’s popped up in two pivotal transactions, but he hasn’t shared any reasons for why he chose this number, even though some believe Musk might dabble in weed here and there.

A few years ago, the entrepreneurial enigma appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, where he was given Rogan’s blunt and encouraged to hit it considering its legal status in California. 

A perplexed Musk gazed at the smokey blunt, and when Rogan asked, “Do people get upset if you do certain things,” like smoking marijuana, Musk leaned in for a hefty draw. 

He didn’t inhale the blunt, but the scene brought another iconic meme to life that he’s shared quite a bit since then.

Suppose the Tesla and SpaceX founder goes through with purchasing the microblogging website Twitter. In that case, we can only hope he’ll remove barriers for cannabis companies to promote products and lifestyle choices without censorship. 

The cannabis industry has seen its fair share of censorship. A few years ago, Twitter actually blocked all cannabis-related searches for a week.