Ohio State University commencement speaker admits he was on psychedelic drug ayahuasca when he wrote cringe-worthy speech about Bitcoin

The commencement speaker for Ohio State University’s graduation admitted he had written his speech while 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 published a post on LinkedIn, admitting that he had gotten high on ayahuasca to write the first drafts of the commencement speech, four days prior to the university’s commencement ceremony.

‘Got some help from AI (Ayahuasca Intelligence) this week to write my commencement speech for 60k grads and family members at Ohio State University next Sunday,’ the post read.

‘We are in challenging times – wanted something extra heartfelt (tried chatGPT but wasn’t that good).’

His commencement speech Sunday revolved around the importance of cryptocurrency, financial literacy, and what led to inflation.

‘Saving is not enough because inflation exploded after the pandemic which is why everything got so expensive … I see Bitcoin as a very misunderstood asset class,’ Pan said. ‘It is decentralized and finite which means no government can print more at will.’

As he started talking about Bitcoin, the crowd erupted in disapproving boos. He sighed and continued sharing his investing experience, which he said was not affected by current market conditions but rather his mental state.

‘The mechanics of investing are actually easy, but it comes down to mindset,’ Pan said. ‘The most common barriers are fear, laziness and closed-mindedness.’

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An OSU spokesperson told local NBC affiliate WCMH that the university does not typically approve the commencement speaker’s speech before the ceremony.

However, Johnson told WCMH that university staff looked over Pan’s drafts after he admitted to being high while writing the initial versions online.

The crypto comments were omitted from the university’s own commencement coverage, which instead emphasized other aspects of his remarks, such as learning through failure and accepting differing opinions.

At one point during the speech, Pan had the student stand up and wave their arms from right to left to the tune of the song ‘Whats Up?’ by 4 Non Blondes.

Johnson told WCMH that the university undergoes a rather lengthy process when choosing a commencement speaker.

First, the commencement speaker is chosen by a panel of students, faculty, and staff after reviewing the nominations. The panel then chooses a speaker based on the nominee’s alignment with the university’s values, communication skills, and social relevance, he said.

Pan is Buckeye himself, and graduated from OSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology. He graduated from Harvard University with an MBA in 2004.

He is the founder of MyIntent.org, a jewelry company with custom messages, as well as an advisor in real estate, crypto currency, and artificial intelligence. Pan’s past roles include being a senior associate at McKinsey & Company, a marketing director for PepsiCo China, and a program manager for Facebook.

The entrepreneur promised the students at the end of his speech that they would all get custom bracelets from his company. Johnson said there would be more information about how students could obtain their bracelet Monday.