Billionaire Elon Musk in an interview posted on March 18 admitted to using the prescription ketamine and said it was “beneficial for investors,” Reuters reported. Speaking with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, the Tesla CEO said that chemino helps him manage a “negative chemical state” similar to depression.
Ketamine is used to treat pain and depression and in heavy doses is used as a sedative.
“From the point of view of Wall Street, what is important is execution. For investors, if there is something that I take, I should continue to take it,” said Musk.
The interview, conducted earlier this month, covered a variety of topics including politics and content moderation about X and Tesla. runs multiple businesses, including electric car maker Tesla, SpaceX, a rocket company, and X, a social media platform.
Concerns Over Elon Musk’s Drug Use
During the interview, Musk also addressed concerns about his ketamine prescription potentially affecting government contracts and Wall Street perception.
A Wall Street Journal investigation published in January raised concerns about Musk’s reported use of drugs such as LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. This raised alarms among executives and board members, especially regarding possible violations of federal policies that could affect SpaceX’s government contracts.
The report highlighted a Tesla director’s frustration with Musk’s behavior, leading to her decision not to seek re-election to the board in 2019.
In response to the Journal report, Musk stated that he agreed to three years of random drug testing at NASA’s request, with no trace amounts found of any drugs or alcohol. He disclosed having a doctor’s prescription for ketamine, estimating his consumption to be a small amount every other week.
In particular, Lemon shared the recent interview on YouTube and X, after Musk canceled an exclusive partnership with “The Don Lemon Show” on X. The show was planned to have three 30-minute episodes a week on X, but the billionaire said his “basically only CNN, but on social media” approach “just doesn’t work”.
Musk did not respond to questions, the Reuters report added.
Unlock a world of Perks! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized news feed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!
Catch all Corporate news and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates and Live Business News.
More or less
Published: 19 Mar 2024, 07:15 IST