Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has spoken about his use of psychedelic drugs like ketamine and stated that it has helped him lead the company. Musk has come under scrutiny after reports about his alleged drug use and its potential impact on the companies owned by him. A few board members at Tesla and SpaceX have had concerns over his use of drugs, which they believe could have major consequences for his health and the business empire he looks after, reports said.
According to CNN, Musk has now addressed the use of ketamine in an interview with journalist Don Lemon.
“There are times when I have sort of a... negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that’s not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind,” Musk said.
Musk noted that he has a prescription for the drug from “an actual, real doctor”. He shared that he uses a small amount once every other week
The 52-year-old denied that he overused the medication as prescribed to him. If you use too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done, he said.
“I have a lot of work, I’m typically putting in 16-hour days … so I don’t really have a situation where I can be not mentally acute for an extended period of time,” he stated.
During the interview, Musk further claimed that he was ‘almost always’ sober late-night or sometimes early morning, posting sessions on social media site X.
He said that he does not drink and is unaware of ‘smoking pot’.
Musk has previously discussed his prescription usage of ketamine on X. Ketamine is mainly used as an anaesthetic in hospitals, but it is also being explored as a possible treatment for depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
The Tesla CEO believes his depression is genetic and does not feel that his ketamine use will have any impact on his companies or their government contracts.
“From a standpoint of Wall Street, what matters is execution... Are you building value for investors? Tesla is worth about as much as the rest of the car industry combined … so from an investor standpoint if there is something I’m taking, I should keep taking it,” he stated.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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