The commencement speaker who delivered an outlandish speech, which he wrote while on ayahuasca, to Ohio State University graduates called himself the “most misunderstood person” days after he claimed bitcoin was a “misunderstood asset class” — to resounding boos.
Social entrepreneur and 1999 OSU alum Chris Pan, 46, defended his graduation address — and using the hallucinogen to help him write it — while admitting that the jeers for his bitcoin quip on Sunday were hard to digest and caught him off guard.
But he also laid blame on people’s poor listening skills for the visceral reaction during his speech that also featured two awkward sing-alongs, a Navy SEALs breathing exercise and a magic trick.
“I’ve never been booed by 70,000 people, it’s not a good feeling,” he told The Post Thursday. “It was hard, I’m human, it was not easy, but you know I had a job to do so I had to keep going.
“What was I gonna do, start crying, I mean dove walk off the stage. I mean, that would have been dramatic, too,” he added.
Pan denied he was hawking bitcoin, but only offered the cryptocurrency as a possible investment option for the Class of 2024.
“All I said was keep an open mind, I know it’s polarizing but I did not expect the boos because I thought people would listen to me but I didn’t realize people didn’t listen to me because they have their own biases,” he said.
But looking back, he admits he might have pulled the bitcoin bit from the speech and focused more on emotional and spiritual learning.
Pan, founder of MyIntent.org, said the style he deployed on Sunday is similar to talks he’s been hired to give to corporate workers. His company brands itself as a project that pushes for “meaningful conversations and positive actions” — though it also sells custom bracelets.
“I am the most misunderstood person right now in this world,” he proclaimed. “And it’s OK because people will eventually understand. But right now, it is what it is.”
Pan also shot back at critics who complained he used the psychedelic, ayahuasca, while penning the speech. He also uses magic mushrooms.
“I do it for creativity, as well as for healing,” he said. “John Lennon, Steve Jobs, like, they all worked with this to fuel their creativity.
“Some people are saying you’re a f–king moron, you’re the biggest embarrassment for Ohio State, but I also have, my inbox is filled from all over the world saying I’m a f–king genius.”
Pan explained he accepted the gig after he received an email from the school in March. He previously told a school official in January he would love to return to campus to speak with students.
“In my wildest dream, I didn’t think that was in the realm of possibility,” Pan said. “It just didn’t occur to me.”
One grad left disappointed was Rory Ewing, who criticized Pan in a scathing letter she sent him that she also shared with The Post.
“You claimed that those who did not enjoy or appreciate your speech either didn’t understand what you were saying or didn’t understand bitcoin, which is both untrue and wildly condescending,” according to part of the letter.
“To insinuate that the lack of appreciation stems from a lack of education or thoughtfulness is an insult to the exact purpose we were gathered together this past Sunday.”
