Joe Rogan

Joseph James Rogan was born on August 11, 1967, in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in Massachusetts and pursued a career in stand-up comedy beginning in 1988 in the Boston area. After moving to Los Angeles in 1994, he became a television actor, appearing on NewsRadio and hosting the game show Fear Factor from 2001 to 2006. He simultaneously built a career as a UFC color commentator beginning in 1997, a role he continues to hold.

In December 2009, Rogan launched The Joe Rogan Experience podcast with comedian Brian Redban. The show grew into the world's most popular podcast, and in 2020 Rogan signed an exclusive deal with Spotify valued at $200 million. By 2024 he renewed the deal for an estimated $250 million, with non-exclusive rights, reflecting his enormous audience reach of approximately 11 million listeners per episode.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogan became one of the most consequential conduits of health misinformation globally. He amplified fringe COVID contrarians including Dr. Robert Malone (who coined the term 'mass formation psychosis' to describe pandemic compliance and compared the US to Nazi Germany), Dr. Pierre Kory (who promoted ivermectin), and others who promoted vaccine skepticism. In September 2021, Rogan publicly disclosed he had contracted COVID and treated himself with ivermectin, generating enormous public interest in the drug at a time when evidence for its efficacy was being systematically dismantled.

In January 2022, musician Neil Young demanded Spotify remove his music rather than share the platform with Rogan, citing COVID misinformation. Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, and other artists followed. Over 270 scientists and medical professionals also signed an open letter to Spotify urging action. Rogan apologized and vowed 'to do better,' and Spotify added advisory labels to COVID-related episodes without removing Rogan's content. The episode illustrated the tension between platform scale, free speech, and public health responsibility. As of 2026, Rogan continues his podcast and remains one of the most politically influential media figures in the United States.

“Ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19 and was being suppressed by the government and pharmaceutical industry.”

Multiple large randomized controlled trials, including the Oxford PRINCIPLE trial and the TOGETHER trial in Brazil, found ivermectin provided no significant clinical benefit for COVID-19. The FDA and WHO advise against its use for this purpose. Rogan publicly took ivermectin when he contracted COVID in September 2021.

“Young healthy people should not get the COVID vaccine.”

Rogan repeatedly told young, healthy listeners not to get vaccinated, contradicting guidance from the CDC and infectious disease specialists. Beyond individual risk, vaccination contributes to population-level immunity and reduces transmission to vulnerable individuals. His messaging was cited by public health experts as contributing to vaccine hesitancy among young adults.

“mRNA COVID vaccines alter or permanently change human DNA.”

mRNA vaccines work by introducing messenger RNA that instructs cells to make a protein; the mRNA degrades rapidly and does not enter the cell nucleus where DNA is housed. It cannot integrate into or alter human DNA. This claim was promoted by multiple guests on Rogan's show.