Elon Musk narrowly escaped a Russian assassination campaign designed to infiltrate his inner circle and eliminate him as a threat to Kremlin interests, so that is what a former FBI counterintelligence agent said.

Johnathan Buma, who was arrested earlier this year for leaking classified documents, said he was trying urgently to but ultimately failed to reach Musk personally to warn him about the Russian government's plans to silence him.

Buma is currently on bail, after his arrest on 17 March at New York's Kennedy airport. Buma has also recently filed paperwork to run as a Democratic candidate for a congressional House seat in Arizona.

According to Buma, the Russia's powerful military intelligence agency, GRU, was trying to exploit Musk's susceptibility to promiscuous women and drug use to get to him.

Buma did not provide any specific details about why he believed Musk would be a target of "Russian operatives, but said it involved individuals that were placed around his inner circle at that time and were gaining influence on him.

According to another report by Wall Street Journal, Buma is not the only person concerned about individuals who were gaining access to Musk at that time.

Who is Igor Kurganov: A Sleeper Agent in Musk’s Inner Circle?

In an WSJ article dated in July 2022, it was reported that Musk's wealth manager, Jared Birchall, tried to warn Musk about a new adviser at that time, by the name of Igor Kurganov.

Despite being a newcomer, Kurganov has suddenly gained tremendous influence on Musk's wealth. It was even reported that Musk had even thought about putting Kurganox in charge of his charitable giving.

It was also speculated that at the time, Kurganov was even under the attention of the FBI for being a potential Russian spy planted by the government in the U.S. However, there is no evidence to neither prove nor disprove the fact that Kurganov could be a Russian spy.

British news outlets have also tried to reach out to Kurganov's wife, Liv Boeree, to enquire her on their doubts. But Kurganov has denied the fact that her husband was a Russian spy.

"My husband's only connection to Russia is that he was pushed out of his mother on its soil."

Musk's Had Direct Connections with Putin in 2022

Musk was also previously accused of being in direct communication with President Vladimir Putin during the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine war.

While Musk himself has not confirmed these interactions, previous investigations-including a report by WSJ have suggested backchannel communications between Musk and Russian officials.

Musk has initially hailed for offering free Starlink satellite internet for Ukrainian forces against the Russian invasion. But that goodwill began to erode when he later threatened to withdraw this service, citing financial and political concern.

By 2024, Musk's stance shifted drastically aligning with President Trump's stance, who was critical of continuing U.S support for Ukraine.

in the report, Buma also claimed that President Putin was aware of the the operation and had given the rubber stamp to infiltrate Musk's inner circle.

"The agent would not have gotten involved in the blackmail plot had the Russian President not known about the action and approved it."