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Tom DeLonge

Tom DeLonge is an American musician, co-founder and chief executive of To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science, and a prominent figure in efforts to bring UAP research into mainstream public discourse.

researcher businessman musician

To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science; Blink-182 · American · Poway, near San Diego, California · Musician; entrepreneur; UAP researcher

Tom DeLonge is an American musician from Poway, near San Diego, California,³ best known as the front man of the rock band Blink-182.¹ He departed the band in early 2015, in part to devote himself to researching UAP.² His interest in the subject pre-dated that departure by some years: David Fravor later recounted that DeLonge had begun reading about UFOs on long van rides with the band before it achieved fame.⁵ Blink-182’s June 1999 album Enema of the State included a track entitled “Aliens Exist”, an early public signal of DeLonge’s preoccupations.⁴ DeLonge has also described a personal experience near Area 51, north of Tonopah, Nevada, in which he claims to have awoken at around 3 am to hear what sounded like approximately twenty voices outside his tent, to have felt completely paralysed, and to have lost approximately three hours of time; one of the two friends present corroborated hearing voices around the tent.^6,7

DeLonge’s efforts to engage the defence and intelligence establishment began with an approach to Lockheed Skunk Works, the advanced-development division of Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin confirmed to the publication The War Zone that multiple Skunk Works members met with DeLonge after he reached out with interest in collaborating on a documentary focused on secret machines and advanced development projects.^9,8 The company ultimately decided not to participate in the documentary.¹⁰ DeLonge has claimed that a second meeting took place inside a secure concrete bunker at Area 51, requiring passage through four layers of security including armed guards, electronic code-entry systems, white-noise hallways, and rotary-lock doors.¹¹ He further claimed that within two weeks of the Skunk Works meeting he was introduced to senior military officers, intelligence officials, senior NASA bureaucrats, and White House officials,¹² and that a general at an airport restaurant told him: “It was the Cold War and we found a lifeform."¹³

DeLonge also made contact with John Podesta through the Podesta DeLonge Email Exchange. Emails published by Wikileaks show he wrote to Podesta on 2015-09-24, 2015-10-26, and 2016-02-23.¹⁴ Leaked emails further revealed plans for a meeting that would have brought together DeLonge, Podesta, Rob Weiss from Lockheed Skunk Works, and two US Air Force generals.¹⁵ A separate leaked email dated 2016-01-24 listed actual attendees as DeLonge, Podesta, Weiss, a Clinton campaign assistant, and retired Major General Michael Carey.¹⁶ Ross Coulthart, in his account of this period, assessed that the Podesta email material corroborated DeLonge’s claims that senior US government defence officials had briefed him on UAP matters.¹⁷

On 2017-10-11, DeLonge formally announced, as president and CEO, the establishment of To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science (TTSA) at a launch event in Seattle.¹⁸ Luis Elizondo subsequently left the Pentagon and joined TTSA alongside Christopher K. Mellon, Steve Justice, and others.¹⁹ TTSA’s stated mandate encompassed new approaches to UAP science and engineering, public education, and the production of film, television, and publishing content.²⁰ Prior to the launch, DeLonge had conducted an extensive tour of meetings with former government officials, and Elizondo later described him as having crisscrossed the country in a learning tour before forming the organisation.²¹ DeLonge articulated his own rationale for his communications role in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, stating that the military has no mechanism to produce films or appear on television and that he therefore served a function in public communication.²² That interview, recorded on 2017-10-26 and lasting approximately 100 minutes, covered DeLonge’s claimed meetings with defence and intelligence officials.²³ He also gave a four-hour interview with George Knapp on the same themes.²⁴

During public appearances, DeLonge made a series of claims attributed to government sources. He told Joe Rogan that the Roswell UAP Crash had involved a recovered craft and that the US Air Force was created ninety days later as a consequence.²⁵ He claimed that a metamaterial sample in TTSA’s possession lost mass when radiated with terahertz frequencies and would float if subjected to sufficient terahertz radiation.²⁶ In 2019, DeLonge sold six Art’s Parts Samples to TTSA for US$35,000, a transaction disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission.²⁷ DeLonge also served as executive producer of the History Channel series Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation, in which he was prominently featured.²⁸

In the period following TTSA’s launch, the organisation’s direction shifted. DeLonge announced a decision to scale back science and technology commercialisation efforts and place greater emphasis on TTSA’s entertainment activities.²⁹ In December 2020, he contacted Elizondo shortly before Christmas to end their professional relationship, citing TTSA’s failure to generate the revenue he had anticipated.³⁰ Despite the difficulties, Elizondo subsequently stated publicly that he credited DeLonge and Kari DeLonge for their role in bringing the UAP topic to broader media attention through TTSA.

References (30)

DeLonge is co-founder and interim CEO of TTSA and a musician of Blink-182 fame.
“DeLonge, a musician of Blink-182 fame and longtime UFO enthusiast, is the co-founder and interim CEO of To the Stars”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? paragraph 10
DeLonge left Blink-182 in early 2015 in part to focus on UAP research.
“In early 2015, DeLonge quit Blink-182, or rather his relationship with the band went on 'indefinite hiatus', in part because he wanted to focus on researching the mystery of UAPs”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 6
DeLonge is from Poway, near San Diego, California.
“DeLonge was a proud son of Poway, near San Diego.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, TTSA location paragraph
Blink-182 released 'Enema of the State' in June 1999, which included a song called 'Aliens Exist'.
“In June that year, the band released their hugely popular Enema of the State album... One of the new songs was Aliens Exist”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 9
David Fravor described DeLonge as genuinely knowledgeable and intelligent; DeLonge became interested in UFOs while reading books on long van rides with Blink-182.
“tom has caught a lot of crap for this but he's actually when you talk to him he's he's he's very smart... when i was traveling around with blink 182 he goes you read a lot of books when you're laying in a van”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 01:48:05
DeLonge camped near Area 51 north of Tonopah and claims to have experienced paralysis and approximately three hours of lost time.
“he camped out with two friends near the secret Area 51 base in Nevada. It was late on a chilly desert night, somewhere north of a small town named Tonopah... I open my eyes and the [campfire] is still going and there's a conversation going on outside the tent. It sounded like there were about 20 people there, talking... I close my eyes and wake up, and the fire is out, and I have about three hours of lost time”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 7
One of DeLonge's camping companions corroborated hearing voices around the tent.
“the other said, 'Yes! They were all around our tent. They were talking.'”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 8
DeLonge reached out to Skunk Works with interest in collaborating on a documentary; multiple Skunk Works members met with him.
“Tom DeLonge reached out to Skunk Works with interest in collaborating on a documentary focused on secret machines and advanced development projects. Multiple members of the Skunk Works team met with DeLonge to explore his vision for the documentary”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 12
Lockheed Martin confirmed to The War Zone that its Skunk Works division met with DeLonge.
“Defence contracting giant Lockheed Martin has since confirmed to Tyler Rogoway's The WarZone column that its Skunk Works division did meet with DeLonge”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 12
Skunk Works ultimately decided not to move forward with participation in DeLonge's documentary.
“We ultimately decided to not move forward with our participation in the documentary”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 12
DeLonge claims he was invited to a second meeting inside a secure bunker inside Area 51, passing through four layers of security.
“he was invited back a second time, this time to a secure concrete bunker actually inside Area 51. He says he went through four layers of security: guns, electronic code entry systems, hallways with speakers playing 'white noise, and a series of solid doors flanking my view, each with rotary locks and not a single window in sight'”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 14
DeLonge claims that within two weeks of his Skunk Works meeting he was introduced to senior military brass, intelligence officials, NASA bureaucrats, and senior White House officials.
“DeLonge claims that within two weeks of that meeting he was introduced to senior top brass from across the military, including US Air Force generals, intelligence officials, high-ranking NASA bureaucrats and senior officials in the White House”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 15
DeLonge claims a general told him at an airport restaurant: 'It was the Cold War and we found a lifeform.'
“"It was the Cold War and we found a lifeform". And that's when I start shitting my pants”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 13, paragraph 15
DeLonge sent emails to John Podesta on 24 September 2015, 26 October 2015, and 23 February 2016, as revealed by Wikileaks.
“Tom DeLonge email to Podesta, 'Tom DeLonge Here', 24 September 2015, Wikileaks.org.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 15, endnote 12
Leaked Podesta emails revealed plans for a meeting between DeLonge, Podesta, Rob Weiss, two US Air Force generals, and others.
“a string of exchanges between Podesta and DeLonge, revealing plans for a Google Hangout meeting between DeLonge, two US Air Force generals and Rob Weiss, the Lockheed Martin executive vice-president and general manager of its advanced development programs known as Skunk Works.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 paragraph 2
A leaked Podesta email dated 24 January 2016 listed meeting attendees as DeLonge, Podesta, Rob Weiss, Milia Fisher, and retired Major General Michael Carey.
“In another leaked Podesta email dated 24 January 2016, a person calling himself 'Neil Mcc' responded to a Google Hangout invitation to check the time of another proposed meeting. The other meeting attendees were listed as DeLonge, Podesta, Skunk Works' boss Rob Weiss, an assistant to the Hillary Clinton campaign Milia Fisher, and retired Major General Michael Carey.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 paragraph 4
The Podesta email hack corroborated DeLonge's claims that he met senior US government defence officials who briefed him on UAPs.
“One unintended consequence of the crime Netyksho was about to commit against John Podesta was that it would corroborate Tom DeLonge's extraordinary claims that he met senior US government Defence Department officials, spies and military contractors”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 15, paragraph 1
On 11 October 2017, DeLonge officially announced, as president and CEO, the formation of TTSA on a Seattle stage.
“On 11 October 2017, Tom DeLonge took to a Seattle stage to officially announce, as president and CEO, the formation of To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences (TTSA).”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 16, paragraph 1
Luis Elizondo left the Pentagon in protest and joined DeLonge, Christopher Mellon, Steve Justice, and others to form To the Stars Academy.
“A few weeks after that I was made aware that Lue had left the Pentagon in protest and joined forces with Tom DeLonge, Chris Mellon, Steve Justice and others to form To the Stars Academy”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 page 14
TTSA's triple directive comprised fresh approaches to UAP science and engineering, educating laymen and journalists, and generating film, TV, and publishing content about UAP.
“Chris Mellon, Hal, and Semivan urged me to consider a different path... They had aligned themselves with the organization that rock star Tom DeLonge and Jim Semivan had put together, called To The Stars Academy (TTSA), and they planned to pursue a triple directive for UAP disclosure: fresh approaches to UAP science and engineering, educating laymen and journalists, and generating film/TV/publishing content about the UAP phenomena”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, TTSA introduction paragraph
DeLonge had crisscrossed the country on a learning tour meeting with sympathetic former government officials before forming TTSA.
“Tom had previously crisscrossed the country on a learning tour, meeting with various sympathetic former officials.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, DeLonge background paragraph
DeLonge claimed in his Joe Rogan interview that the military does not have a way to make a movie or go on a show, and that his role is in communication.
“"Communication," DeLong responded. "They don't have a way to make a movie, a book. They don't have a way to go on a show like this."”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? paragraph 29
DeLonge gave a 100-minute interview on The Joe Rogan Experience about his secret meetings with defence and intelligence officials regarding UAPs.
“the one he recorded with podcast host, comedian and mixed martial arts commentator Joe Rogan... his 100-minute-duration Joe Rogan interview”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 14, paragraph 1
DeLonge gave a four-hour interview with George Knapp about his UAP briefings from government officials.
“a four-hour George Knapp interview”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 14, paragraph 1
DeLonge claimed to Joe Rogan the US recovery of a crashed alien spacecraft was why the US Air Force was created 90 days after the Roswell crash.
“Two weeks after the TTSA launch, DeLonge did his extraordinary interview with Joe Rogan. DeLonge repeated claims long on the fringes of ufology conspiracy theories, suggesting that the US's recovery of a crashed alien spacecraft was the reason why, 90 days after the mythical 1947 Roswell crash, the US Air Force was created as a separate entity from the Army.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 16, paragraph 6
DeLonge claimed a metamaterial sample loses mass when radiated with terahertz frequencies and would float if hit with enough terahertz.
“DeLonge also made the claim in his October 2017 interview with Joe Rogan that one of these UAP samples he saw actually lost mass when it was radiated with terahertz frequencies. 'Something weird. It resonates some kind of harmonic and it gets lighter. And if you hit it with enough terahertz it'll float,' he claimed.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 16, paragraph 10
DeLonge sold six Art's Parts samples to TTSA for US$35,000 in 2019, as disclosed to the SEC.
“There was a disclosure notice by TTSA to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) revealing that in 2019 Tom DeLonge sold the same six 'Art's Parts' samples to his company for $35,000”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 18, paragraph 14
DeLonge is the executive producer of Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation and is prominently featured in the show.
“which lists DeLonge as executive producer. (He is also prominently featured in the show.)”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? paragraph 30
DeLonge announced he had refocused TTSA's operations to scale back science and technology commercialisation and place greater emphasis on its entertainment business.
“DeLonge announced he had 'recently taken steps to refocus [TTSA's] operations to scale back its initiatives in science and tech commercialization and to place a greater emphasis on the operations of its entertainment business.'”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 16, paragraph 21
DeLonge called Elizondo just before Christmas 2020 to end their business relationship, saying TTSA had not brought in the money he expected.
“Just a few days before Christmas, I got a call from Tom, who was friendly but blunt. Our business relationship was over. Despite all our successes, the business had not brought in the money he expected or needed.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 22, paragraph 28

Tom DeLonge

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