Palmer Luckey, co-founder of defense technology company Anduril, is facing backlash after hypothetically stating that he would create a startup that would use "oxytocin doping" in marriage counseling to reduce divorce.
In a video posted to social media, Luckey connected oxytocin to mammal pair bonding and suggested use of the hormone as an answer to couples who, as he put it, "sort of drift apart over time," casting divorce as a problem a startup might address.
Here's what to know
Nonprofit media and advocacy organization More Perfect Union (@perfectunion) shared a video showing Luckey speaking on the Moonshots podcast.
In the clip, Luckey can be seen saying, "I would try to end the tragedy of divorce with oxytocin doping for marriage counseling."
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "Oxytocin is a natural hormone that manages key aspects of the female and male reproductive systems, including labor and delivery and lactation, as well as aspects of human behavior."
On the podcast, Luckey called oxytocin "the bonding hormone" and "the mammal pair bonding chemical."
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"Most of the people who don't want to stay together should stay together, especially for their kids," Luckey said.
The business pitch
Luckey did not stop his controversial comments there. He went on to further describe the business opportunity behind the idea.
During the pitch, he characterized oxytocin as "safe," said "there's things you can do to increase the uptake," and stressed how easy it is to obtain in bulk.
"It's totally unregulated," he said. "Which is great. Unregulated spaces are a lot easier."
"You can go buy a kilogram of oxytocin on Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Supply right now," Luckey continued.
Throughout, he framed the substance as a readily available commodity rather than a medical intervention with potentially serious health implications.
What commenters had to say
Commenters on More Perfect Union's post were overwhelmingly critical of Luckey's statements, which many observers felt to be absurd and out of touch.
"So we have to be drugged to be married?!?" asked one.
Many comments focused on Luckey discussing intimate family decisions in startup-pitch language, while others refuted Luckey's characterization of oxytocin.
"From a pharmaceutical, neuroscience, and psychology perspective, this simply would not work, and he has demonstrated he does not actually know what oxytocin does," one comment read.
Viewers also pushed back on the ideas that unhappy couples should be steered toward staying together and that biotech could have a role to play in marriage counseling.
"Divorce is not a tragedy if one or both of the partners do not want to be there," one wrote. "Staying in a toxic situation is. And it damages the kids."
Where can I learn more?
These stories dig into topics from hormone-disrupting chemicals to prenatal vitamins and how startups are working to address concerns:
• Scientists are raising concern over commonly used hormone-disrupting chemicals, warning there may be no safe dose.
• Nature Made faces a lawsuit over allegedly deceiving expecting parents about prenatal vitamins.
• Female-led startup EcoFlexy has secured funding for cellulose-based microplastics alternatives in skincare products.
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