Elon Musk brushes off claims of Ketamin
Elon Musk, the billionaire adviser to President Donald Trump, refuted claims of Ketamin and other drugs extensively last year during the 2024 campaign trail. His response came after a New York Times report claimed that the world’s richest person used ketamine so heavily that it caused bladder problems.
“To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off,” Musk stated in a post on X. He added, “I tried ‘prescription’ ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.”
The NYT reported that the world’s richest person used ecstasy and mushrooms and carried a pill box while traveling last year, but it’s unclear if Musk used drugs while leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took office in January.
Musk initially avoided a question about his drug use during a strange farewell appearance with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, where he sported a noticeable black eye while officially stepping down as the head of DOGE, the cost-cutting agency that laid off tens of thousands of civil servants.
The injury drew significant attention, coming shortly after the New York Times report on his alleged drug use. The paper also highlighted past erratic behaviour, including Musk giving an enthusiastic Nazi-style salute at a rally in January celebrating Trump’s inauguration.
“And he did. Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually is…” he said.
Trump on Musk’s ‘regular drug use’
Later that Friday, when asked by a reporter whether he was aware of Musk’s “regular drug use,” Trump replied, “I wasn’t.” “I think Elon is a fantastic guy. I’m not troubled by anything with Elon,” he added.
Musk has previously acknowledged using ketamine, stating it was prescribed to treat a “negative frame of mind” and implying that drug use had a positive impact on his work.