‘Tried prescription ketamine’: Elon Musk denies he takes drugs, says NYT is ‘lying’

The New York Times report attributed 53-year-old Musk’s alleged drug use to people close to him privy to his activities. The supposed drugs include ketamine – a powerful anesthetic – ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms.

“He travelled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall, according to a photo of the box and people who have seen it,” the New York Times reported.

While Musk acknowledged that he had used ketamine in the past, he said it was prescribed and not recent. “I tried prescription ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this is not even news,” he added. “It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.”

The report, published on Saturday, says Musk blurred the line between medical use and recreation, raising concerns among people close to him.

Musk has said before that he was prescribed ketamine to help with depression, and took it about once every two weeks. In an interview with journalist Don Lemon in March 2024, Musk said he used “a small amount” of ketamine for “negative chemical tides.” He added, “If you’ve used too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done, and I have a lot of work.”

He also told his biographer that he doesn’t like illegal drugs, saying: “I really don’t like doing illegal drugs.”

But The New York Times reports that Musk’s use of ketamine was more frequent and involved combining it with other substances. People familiar with the matter told NYT that he also took MDMA (ecstasy) and psychedelic mushrooms at private gatherings in the US and abroad.

Tesla board members had privately expressed concern over Musk’s use of medications like Ambien, a prescription sleep aid.

Musk has spoken openly on social media about his mental health, writing in one post that he has experienced “great highs, terrible lows and unrelenting stress.” He has criticised therapy and traditional antidepressants, saying instead that he relies on video games and other outlets.

The Wall Street Journal had previously reported in 2023 about Musk’s recreational drug use, adding to growing worries among executives at his companies.

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