Animal Welfare

In November 2023, U.S. lawmakers asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Neuralink and Elon Musk deceived investors by omitting details about animal deaths during brain implant trials. An investigation by Wired, including veterinary records, contradicted Musk's public claim that monkeys who died were already terminally ill and did not die as a result of Neuralink implants. In December 2024, the New York Times reported that the SEC had reopened its investigation into the alleged abuses.

In September 2023, Elon Musk publicly claimed 'No monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant' and that the company only used 'terminal monkeys close to death already.' However, records obtained by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and WIRED revealed 12 previously healthy Rhesus macaques were euthanized due to implant complications. Health records showed no evidence the monkeys were terminally ill. The PCRM filed an SEC complaint over these materially misleading statements.

FDA inspectors found 'objectionable conditions or practices' at Neuralink's animal testing facilities during June 2023 inspections, including missing calibration records and quality assurance failures. Separately, the USDA confirmed a 2019 Animal Welfare Act violation involving unapproved BioGlue that caused animal suffering, but it was hidden from public records. DOT also fined Neuralink $2,480 for hazardous materials transport violations in 2023.

In June 2023, UPSIDE Foods became the first company to receive both FDA and USDA approval to sell cultivated chicken in the United States. Cultivated meat is grown from animal cells without slaughtering animals, representing a technological breakthrough for animal welfare. The company launched at Michelin-starred restaurant Bar Crenn and is suing Florida over its ban on cultivated meat.

In May 2023, Representatives Adam Schiff and Earl Blumenauer led a congressional letter to the USDA demanding investigation into conflicts of interest at Neuralink's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The investigation found that 19 of 22 IACUC members were paid Neuralink employees with significant financial stakes in the animal studies they were required to evaluate under the Animal Welfare Act, potentially violating federal regulations requiring independent oversight of animal research.

In April 2023, John Collison adopted over 40 abandoned horses in Ireland to aid a rescue operation facing closure due to capacity issues. His intervention prevented euthanasia and funded rehabilitation of the animals through his personal resources.

In February 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation opened an investigation into Neuralink over the potentially illegal movement of hazardous pathogens. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) obtained documents suggesting unsafe packaging and transport of implants removed from monkey brains that may have carried infectious diseases including antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus and herpes B virus, in violation of federal hazardous materials law. In January 2024, DOT issued a fine of $2,480 for the violations.

Approximately 1,500 animals—including over 280 sheep, pigs and monkeys—died as a result of Neuralink tests since 2018. At UC Davis, 15 of 23 monkeys with brain implants were euthanized. Animals suffered brain hemorrhages, paralysis, bloody infections, and self-mutilation. Over 20 employees alleged tests were rushed due to Musk's pressure to accelerate development, causing botched experiments. Musk told staff to imagine 'a bomb strapped to their heads' to work faster.

Between 2018 and 2022, approximately 1,500 animals including monkeys, pigs, and sheep died during Neuralink's brain implant research. Internal staff reported Elon Musk pressured teams to accelerate timelines, leading to botched surgeries - 25 pigs died from wrong-size implants. Monkeys suffered chronic infections, paralysis, and brain swelling. The USDA opened a probe in December 2022, and the DOT investigated improper handling of hazardous pathogens. The internal animal care committee was chaired by a Neuralink executive with financial stake in the company.

Beyond Meat, founded by Ethan Brown in 2009, produces plant-based alternatives to beef, pork, and poultry products. The company went public in 2019 and its products are sold in major retailers and fast food chains globally. Brown was named UNEP Champion of the Earth in 2018 for 'work towards reducing our dependence on animal-based foods.'

Impossible Foods, founded by Stanford biochemistry professor Pat Brown in 2011, develops plant-based meat using heme protein technology to replicate the taste and texture of animal meat. The Impossible Burger and other products aim to eliminate the need for animal agriculture. The company's mission is explicitly to reduce animal suffering and environmental impact of meat production.