The Ohio State University commencement speaker admitted he had written his speech under the influence of the psychedelic drug ayahuasca.
Chris Pan, a self-proclaimed social entrepreneur, musician and professional speaker, was chosen as OSU’s 2024 commencement speaker.
On May 1, Pan posted on LinkedIn, admitting that he had gotten high on ayahuasca to write the first drafts of his commencement speech, four days before the university’s graduation ceremony.
“I received help from AI (Ayahuasca Intelligence) this week to write my commencement speech for 60,000 graduates and family members at The Ohio State University next Sunday,” the post read.
“We are in difficult times; we wanted something more sincere (I tried chatGPT but it wasn’t as good).”
Chris Pan (pictured), a self-proclaimed social entrepreneur, musician and professional speaker, was chosen as OSU’s 2024 commencement speaker.
Pan (pictured) has faced backlash for his unconventional graduation speech on cryptocurrencies and investing.
Pictured: Pan’s LinkedIn post admitting he took the psychedelic drug ayahuasca to write initial drafts of his speech days before OSU’s graduation ceremony.
His graduation speech on Sunday revolved around the importance of cryptocurrencies, financial literacy and what led to inflation.
“Saving is not enough because inflation skyrocketed after the pandemic and that’s why everything became so expensive… I see Bitcoin as a very misunderstood asset class,” Pan said. “It is decentralized and finite, which means that “No government can print more at will.”
When he started talking about Bitcoin, the crowd erupted in disapproving boos. He sighed and continued sharing his investment experience, which, he said, was not affected by current market conditions but rather by his mental state.
“The mechanics of investing are really simple, but it all comes down to mindset,” Pan said. “The most common barriers are fear, laziness and closed-mindedness.”
An OSU spokesperson told the local NBC affiliate WCMH The university typically does not approve the commencement speaker’s speech before the ceremony.
However, Johnson told WCMH that university staff reviewed Pan’s drafts after he admitted to being high while writing initial versions online.
The crypto comments were omitted from the university’s own graduation coverage, which instead emphasized other aspects of his comments, such as learning through failure and accepting different opinions.
At one point during the speech, Pan had the student stand up and wave his arms from right to left to the song ‘Whats Up?’ for 4 non-blondes.
Johnson told WCMH that the university goes through a fairly lengthy process when choosing a commencement speaker.
First, the commencement speaker is chosen by a panel of students, faculty and staff after reviewing nominations. The panel then chooses a speaker based on the nominee’s alignment with the university’s values, communication skills and social relevance, she said.
Pictured: Pan presenting a bracelet from his company to OSU President Ted Carter, who promised the student body they would receive them as well.
About 60,000 students attended OSU’s 2024 graduation ceremony
Pan is a Buckeye himself and graduated from OSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology. He graduated with an MBA from Harvard University in 2004.
He is the founder of MyIntent.org, a jewelry company with personalized messages, as well as a real estate, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence advisor. Pan’s previous roles include senior associate at McKinsey & Company, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo China, and program manager at Facebook.
The businessman promised the students at the end of his speech that they would all receive personalized bracelets from his company. Johnson said there would be more information on how students could get their bracelet on Monday.