Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, on Saturday denied a report that he extensively used ketamine and other drugs during the 2024 Presidential campaign trail.In a post shared in X, Musk said, “To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.” “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,” he added.Musk has previously acknowledged using ketamine by prescription to treat a negative mindset and has said it helped his work.A New York Times report on Friday said that Musk, a top adviser to US President Donald Trump, used so much ketamine that it led to bladder problems. The report also claimed he took ecstasy and mushrooms and traveled with a pill box last year. It was unclear whether Musk used drugs while leading the department of government efficiency (DOGE), the agency Trump created in January.Musk first avoided a question about his drug use during a farewell appearance with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, where he was seen with a visible black eye. The event marked the end of his role as Trump’s chief cost-cutter at the department of government efficiency, DOGE, which oversaw the dismissal of tens of thousands of civil servants.He explained the injury came from playing with his young son, named X, saying he told the child to hit him, and the boy did. “Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually is…” Musk said, trailing off.The Times also cited past erratic behavior by Musk, including an incident last year in which he gave what was described as an enthusiastic Nazi-style salute.When asked later Friday if he knew about Musk’s alleged drug use, Trump responded, “I wasn’t.” He added, “I think Elon is a fantastic guy.”
