Elon Musk defends ketamine use, dismisses investor worries

WASHINGTON - Elon Musk suggested his use of drugs benefits Tesla investors in an interview released Monday, saying he takes prescribed ketamine to treat his "negative frame of mind."

The 52-year-old tycoon confirmed he takes the anesthetic -- typically used for pain management and to treat depression -- following reports in the US media that his drug use was spooking investors.

"Ketamine is helpful for getting one outside out of a negative frame of mind," Musk told former CNN host Don Lemon in an interview published on social media on Monday.

Asked if his ketamine use could impact investors' perceptions, Musk said: "We had the best-selling car on Earth last year. So from investors' standpoint, if there is something I'm taking, I should keep taking it."

Musk, who runs SpaceX and Tesla, and owns social media platform X, denied abusing ketamine and said he used "a small amount once every other week or something like that."

He added that he did not believe he had "extended depression" and instead used ketamine when he had a "negative chemical state."

During the hour-long interview, Musk also discussed meeting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in March but did not indicate who he might support in November's election.

He said he was "leaning away" from Democratic President Joe Biden, but said that did not mean he would support Trump, adding: "A lot can happen between now and the election."

Last Friday, Musk posted on X that Americans should elect Republicans in November with a "red wave" or "America is doomed."

"Imagine four more years of this getting worse," he wrote, referring to one of Trump's main talking points -- the claim that the United States is being overwhelmed by illegal migration. - AFP