Ohio State commencement speaker was on ayahuasca when he wrote cringe-worthy speech peddling bitcoin, forcing sing-alongs
College grads weren’t high on this hallucinogenic-fueled speech.
Ohio State University’s commencement speaker gave a cringe-worthy speech to graduates Sunday that included peddling bitcoin to a round of jeers and leading the crowd in two awkward, off-key sing-alongs — thanks in part to “help from AI (Ayahuasca Intelligence).”
Social entrepreneur, investor and al꧙um Chris Pan gave more than 12,000 students and their families and friends a keynote address that was as unusual as it was memorable — and that he admitted a week ago♉ was written with the help of a psychedelic.
The roughly 17-minute speec🦩h started out mu♑ndanely enough, until he encouraged grads to get up.
“I’d like to get started by moving our energy, getting our energy flowing,” said Pan, wh🌠o graduated from OSU i🗹n 1999. “So if you’re able to, please stand and follow my movement.”
Pan then proceeded to lead the audienc💞e in singing part of the 1993 song “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes, and had school leaders and faculty behind him swaying and waving their arms.
He subsequently led grads in a breathing exercise that is used by Navy SEALs to remain calm in stressful situations — perhaps to prepare them for some of ജthe grim financial situations they might soon face in the real world.
It was a perfect segue 𒈔for Pan to talk up🍸 cryptocurrency.
“So I know this might feel🧔 polarizing, but I encourage you to keep an open mind right now. I see bitcoin as a very misunderstood asset class,” Pan said, which led to a chorus of boos.
Pan attempted to work through notable jeers before he deployed a magic trick with the help of OSU preཧsident Walter E. Carter Jr.
The 6�🐷�4-year-old college bigwig blew on some quarters in a little black bag that Pan turned into a bitcoin.
“I learned the magic trick last week just to be able to have this moment,” Pan gleefully admitted. “T💯hank you for that.”
He later promised free bracelets to everyone in the crowd “as🌼 an𓆏 apology for listening to me talk about bitcoin.”
Pan later led t📖he Class of 2024 in another musical number, “This Little Light of Mine,” after he talked about how young adults can heal divisions in the world.
Part of the oddities in Pan’s ꦓspeech 𝓡might have been traced back to what he used to help him write it.
Pan said in a LinkedIn post cited by before Sunday that he wrote it while on ayahuasca, which is a plant-based psychedelic from South America, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation based💧 in Australia.
“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,” he wrote in the post. “We are in challenging times – wanted something extra heartfelt. (Tried chatGPT but wasn’t that good).”
Pan graduated from Ohio State in 1999 and got his ꧒master’s degr𓄧ee at Harvard Business School. He’s the founder of MyIntent.org, the mission of which is to facilitate “meaningful conversations and positive energy,” according to his LinkedIn.
It also sells custom-made jewelry, though o🌼n its website it says, “We are not a jewelry company – we are a service project.”
An Ohio State spokesperson declined 🦩to comment on the bitcoin reference but made clear the uꦬniversity does not approve speakers’ speeches before the ceremony.
In a press release about the keynote address by the school, it shied away from the more bizarre moments with a🥂 headline, “Ohio State alum Chris Pan encouraged graduates to set sights on making a difference.”
