Elon Musk Says He’s Taken Ketamine — Here’s His Reasoning

As Elon Musk’s influence on American politics grew, so did rumors that he was using ketamine. Ketamine is a powerful dissociative anesthetic, and in recent years doctors have been prescribing it as a treatment. mood disorder.

Social media users on platforms such as: × (archived), Instagram and reddit He made accusations against Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, founder of SpaceX, and owner of SpaceX. 1 person He said he was taking the drug to “enhance performance.”

Snopes readers searched the site for facts about this issue in late 2024 and early 2025.

Musk himself said he uses this drug for Interview for March 2024and he frequently I posted about it on X Generally for many years.

We have reached out to Mr. Musk’s representatives to provide more details about his use of ketamine and to provide further details on his use of ketamine. report about his relationship with drugs, which is affecting his behavior at work. We have not received a response yet, but will update this report if we receive a response.

In other words, the details of Mr. Musk’s ketamine use are unknown at the time of this writing, including how often (if at all), under exactly what circumstances, and in what manner (spray, etc.). It also does not include whether the patient is taking the drug in the form of a powder, liquid injection, etc. .

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ketamine as an anesthetic; Esketamine only OK A molecule that is a mirror image of ketamine and is effective for treatment-resistant depression. Esketamine comes as a nasal spray. However, ketamine, used off-label for depression, injected It is given intravenously or intramuscularly under medical supervision, taken sublingually as a lozenge without swallowing, or given into the nose as a spray. Recreational users and addicts often choose snorting Use ketamine powder to quickly rush.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, abusing this drug can have serious consequences. that warn:

Long-term, high-dose ketamine use is associated with memory impairment, depression, and anxiety. Taking large amounts of ketamine can cause psychosis, a mental illness in which a person loses touch with reality. If you use ketamine frequently for recreational purposes, delusions can last up to a month after you stop using it.

Musk’s own words about taking ketamine

Musk spoke openly about taking ketamine in an interview with former CNN reporter Don Lemon on March 18, 2024. Musk said he has a prescription for depression medication. (Snopes has not been able to independently verify that claim because Musk’s team did not respond to our inquiry for this report.)

For the treatment of depression, he generally advocated the use of ketamine over traditional options such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which aim to increase serotonin in the brain.

The moment went like this:

lemon: However, you admitted that you were prescribed ketamine.

Musk: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

lemon: What is it for?

Musk: Well, asking someone about their prescription is a pretty private thing.

Sometimes, I don’t know, it can be like a negative chemical state. my […] brain. Like depression, yeah, Or depression that has nothing to do with negative news. And ketamine helps get you outside and free from negative thinking.

[…]

Of course, I’m not a doctor, but I think people with depression issues should consider talking to their doctor about ketamine rather than SSRIs.

Lemon asked if he was abusing drugs, and Musk said no. You have to work a lot, so you can’t afford to be “wasted.” In the video interview below, the exchange begins at approximately the 19-minute mark.

The day after the interview was published, Musk Posted X also about ketamine. Reply to video of TV host Jim Cramer discussing Musk’s comments with Lemon (archived), Musk said he talked about ketamine on X for many years “It may help people who suffer from bouts of depression,” he said.

the reason is me Posted I thought about ketamine (despite the personal risks) because I thought it might help people suffering from bouts of depression.

In my opinion, it’s a much better solution than being turned into a zombie by SSRIs.

Critics claim ketamine is influencing Musk’s behavior at work

Citing an anonymous source: Wall Street Journal investigation According to the magazine, published in January 2024, executives and directors at Musk’s company said Musk used ketamine and other drugs recreationally, including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, and marijuana. They have expressed concern about the current situation. The report asserted that:

Those close to Mr. Musk, now 52, ​​say they are concerned that his continued drug use, particularly ketamine, could lead to a health crisis. Even if it doesn’t, it could hurt his business.

His lawyer, Alex Spiro, told the Wall Street Journal that Musk undergoes regular drug tests and “has never failed a test.” Snopes could not independently verify the media report because it was based on an anonymous source “close to Musk.”

Two days after the report was released, Musk announced thatarchived): “If a drug actually helps increase my net productivity in the long term, I would definitely take it!”

Musk reiterated Spiro’s claims about drug testing, saying NASA requires Spiro to test for such substances in his body after he takes a drug test. I once shared a marijuana cigarette. With podcast host Joe Rogan (archived).

Anonymous sources spoke months before the Wall Street Journal investigation. new yorker They say they believe ketamine and other factors may be contributing to Musk’s impulsivity. ”Officials say Musk’s use has escalated in recent years, and that in addition to contributing to his isolation and increasingly difficult relationships with the media, the drug has contributed to his chaotic and impulsive speech. “We suggested that this may contribute to a tendency to make decisions,” the report said.

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