In a wide-ranging, 90-minute interview with journalist Don Lemon, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk opened up about his use of prescription ketamine to manage depression and enhance his mental acuity. The Tesla CEO's comments have sparked discussions about the potential benefits and risks of the drug, as well as its impact on his companies and their government contracts.
Musk, who is known for his often erratic behavior and late-night posting sessions on his social media platform, X, said he is "almost always" sober during these posts. He revealed that he uses a "small amount once every other week or something like that" of ketamine, prescribed by "an actual, real doctor," to help him overcome negative mental states.
"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 told Lemon. He denied overusing the medication, stating that excessive ketamine use would prevent him from getting work done, given his typically 16-hour workdays.
Musk believes his depression is genetic and does not think his ketamine use will impact his companies or their government contracts. "From a standpoint of Wall Street, what matters is execution," he said. "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."
The interview also covered various other topics, including Musk's criticisms of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, as well as the demand for Tesla's Cybertruck. However, the discussion about his ketamine use has garnered significant attention, as it offers insight into the use of the drug by one of the world's most influential figures.
Ketamine, primarily used as an anesthetic in hospitals, is increasingly being explored as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Dr. William Prueitt, director of the Ketamine Treatment Program at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, told Fox News Digital, "There's growing evidence that ketamine can be very effective for patients with depression who have not responded to other treatments."
Prueitt explained that ketamine targets different neurotransmitters in the brain compared to traditional antidepressants, which may account for its success in treating patients with treatment-resistant depression. When administered in an appropriate treatment setting by an experienced medical team, ketamine is generally considered safe. However, Prueitt cautioned against self-medication and emphasized the importance of receiving ketamine treatments only after a proper psychiatric evaluation and medical screening.
Musk also addressed the state of the core advertising business on X, which has suffered since he acquired the company due to a rise in hateful and controversial content on the platform. While he claimed that almost all of the company's advertisers have returned, Musk appeared uninterested in adjusting X's policies to appease advertisers who have left the site. "You can choose where you want your advertising, what you want your advertiser to appear next to, but you can't insist on censorship of the entire platform," he said.
