Elon Musk Opens Up About His Ketamine Use and Its Impact on His Work

Elon Musk mentioned that he is usually sober when posting on his social media platform, X, late at night or early in the morning.

During an interview with journalist Don Lemon, the billionaire Tesla CEO talked about his use of the medication ketamine. Musk, who is famous for his unpredictable behavior, has been under scrutiny due to reports about his alleged drug use and how it might affect his companies.

Musk shared with Lemon that there are times when he experiences a negative chemical state in his brain, similar to depression. He finds that ketamine helps him to shift out of this negative mindset, even when there is no specific reason for feeling down. He mentioned that he has a prescription for the drug from a legitimate doctor and uses a small amount of it approximately every other week.

In addition, Musk mentioned that he does not drink alcohol and does not use marijuana. However, he did not clarify whether he was referring to ketamine or some other substance when he said he is typically sober while posting on social media late at night.

The Don Lemon Show

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Musk's interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon got tense when Musk refused to answer a question. Musk had previously shared on social media about his use of ketamine, a drug commonly used in hospitals as an anesthetic. Recently, ketamine has been studied as a possible treatment for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Musk's comments provide a unique perspective on the use of this drug by someone as influential as him.

Elon Musk denied using too much ketamine, stating that it would hinder his ability to work efficiently. He mentioned having long workdays, typically lasting 16 hours, which require him to be mentally sharp at all times.

Musk attributed his depression to genetics and expressed confidence that his ketamine use would not affect his companies or their government contracts.

"According to Wall Street, what really matters is how well you execute your plans," he explained. "Are you creating value for your investors? Tesla's value is equivalent to the entire car industry combined... so for investors, if there's a winning strategy, they should stick to it."

The extensive 90-minute conversation between Musk and Lemon touched on various topics, sparking a disagreement between the two and leading to the cancellation of a deal for X to sponsor Lemon's new streaming show. The discussion delved into Musk's use of ketamine, as well as his critiques of diversity initiatives, equity programs, and the high demand for Tesla's Cybertruck.

Advertisers on X

Musk talked about the advertising situation on X. Since he bought the company, there has been a decline in the core advertising business. This is because there has been an increase in hateful and controversial content on the platform. Musk had mentioned before that advertisers who left X due to concerns about antisemitic content should "go f**k yourself" and blamed them for harming the company.

During the interview, Musk mentioned that the majority of the company's advertisers have returned to the platform. He expressed confidence in the growth of advertising and subscription revenue on X, stating that he is optimistic about its future. However, he made it clear that he is not willing to change X's policies just to please advertisers who have chosen to leave.

Musk emphasized that advertisers can select where they want their ads to be displayed and what content they want to be associated with. However, he firmly stated that imposing censorship on the entire platform is not something he is willing to entertain. If advertisers insist on such censorship, even where their ads do not appear, Musk indicated that they would not be welcome on X.

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Elon Musk's admission