Russia's top military intelligence agency targeted Elon Musk by exploiting the billionaire's alleged weaknesses for sex, drugs, and a lavish lifestyle, a former FBI agent has claimed.

The operation was reportedly greenlit by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.

"They would not have done so if Putin had not personally known about the action and approved it," Jonathan Buma, who served 16 years as a counterintelligence officer, told German broadcaster ZDF.

He claimed Russian intelligence, GRU, actively ran special operations to influence top Silicon Valley figures like Musk and venture capitalist Peter Thiel. The tactics included gathering compromising material that could be used for blackmail.

"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 said in the documentary.

"There's a vast amount of evidence to support this fact," he said. "There is absolutely evidence for it."

Buma also claimed that Musk's interests in desert rave scenes like Burning Man, adult entertainment, and gambling were all seen by Russian security agencies as potential points of access to the billionaire.

According to Buma, it wasn't just the GRU acting alone. He alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself was behind the outreach to Musk and Thiel. "The envoys sent to contact both offered direct contact with Putin," Buma said.

Buma further said he knows that direct contact occurred between Musk and Putin "probably several times." A Wall Street Journal report from 2024 also confirmed secret conversations between the two. According to the report, Musk has allegedly been in direct contact with Putin since at least 2022.

The GRU, known for its aggressive and clandestine global operations, is one of the most powerful arms of Russia's intelligence system. It handles foreign military operations and espionage, often using unconventional means to reach strategic objectives.

Buma, who made the claims in the ZDF documentary, was arrested in March and charged with one count of "Disclosure of Confidential Information" for leaking classified material to a publishing company. He is currently out on $100,000 bail.

Elon Musk's stance on Ukraine has evolved over time. In 2022, he offered his Starlink satellite service free to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But he later threatened to pull back the support, and by 2024 had become increasingly critical of Kyiv as he aligned himself with US President Donald Trump. Now he is an adviser to the President.