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

The commencement speaker at Ohio State University admitted that he wrote his speech while under the influence of the psychedelic drug ayahuasca.

Chris Pan, a self-described 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 got high on ayahuasca while writing the first drafts of the commencement speech four days prior to the university’s commencement ceremony.

“I received some help from AI (Ayahuasca Intelligence) this week to write my speech to 60,000 graduates and family members at Ohio State University this Sunday,” the post said.

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

Pan (pictured) has faced backlash for his unconventional opening speech on cryptocurrency and investing

Pictured: Pan’s LinkedIn post admitting he used the psychedelic drug ayahuasca to write the first drafts of his speech, days before OSU’s commencement ceremony

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

“Saving is not enough because inflation exploded after the pandemic and that’s why everything became so expensive… I see Bitcoin as a very misunderstood asset class,” Pan said. “It’s decentralized and finite, meaning no government can print at will anymore.”

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

“The mechanics of investing are actually simple, but it comes down to mindset,” Pan said. ‘The most common barriers are fear, laziness and closedness.’

An OSU spokesperson told the local NBC affiliate WCMH that the university generally does not approve the 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 the first drafts online.

The crypto comments were left out of the college’s own coverage of the university’s commencement, which instead highlighted 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 tune of the song “What’s Up?” by 4 non-blondes.

Johnson told WCMH that the university goes through 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.

Pictured: Pan presents a bracelet from his company to OSU President Ted Carter, which he promised the student body they would also receive

About 60,000 students attended OSU’s 2024 commencement ceremony

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

He is the founder of MyIntent.org, a custom messaging jewelry company, and a consultant in real estate, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. Pan’s previous roles include senior associate at McKinsey & Company, marketing director for PepsiCo China and program manager for Facebook.

The entrepreneur promised the students at the end of his speech that they would all receive customized bracelets from his company. Johnson said more information on how students can obtain their bracelets would be available Monday.