Elon Musk Tops Joe Rogan Podcast Chart with 69M Views

• According to Nic Cruz Patane, Elon Musk’s 2018 interview on The Joe Rogan Experience has hit 69 million views on YouTube — making it the most-watched JRE episode of all time. Seven years later, people still tune in to watch Musk’s laid-back conversation and that infamous moment when he smoked a cigar on air.

• Rogan’s unfiltered, long-form style turns big-name guests into cultural moments, though it comes with risks. Musk’s appearance briefly spooked Tesla investors and sparked public debate — a perfect example of how authenticity can clash with corporate image in the social media age.

• Financially, Rogan’s success has been massive. His reported $200 million Spotify deal proved that conversational podcasts could pull prime-time audiences and serious ad money. Episodes like Musk’s keep delivering huge engagement, cementing JRE as the world’s top podcast. For Musk, these media hits boost Tesla and SpaceX’s visibility way beyond what traditional marketing could do.

• The all-time JRE viewership rankings show Musk’s episode #1169 at the top, followed by Bob Lazar & Jeremy Corbell (63M), Donald Trump (56M), Jordan Peterson (40M), and Edward Snowden (39M). The list highlights Rogan’s role as a hub where science, politics, and philosophy converge — shaping public opinion as much as traditional news.

As Nic Cruz Patane put it: “Elon Musk’s 2018 podcast with Joe Rogan is the most-watched JRE episode ever. It has 69M views on YouTube alone.”

• That single episode captures the modern media era — where one unscripted conversation can reach billions worldwide.