Tesla CEO dismisses suggestion his drug use may affect the perceptions of buyers.
Elon Musk has defended taking prescribed ketamine to deal with his “damaging state of mind,” suggesting that his use of the drug is sweet for Tesla’s buyers.
In an at-times tense interview with former CNN host Don Lemon, Musk stated that he finds the anaesthetic useful when he’s affected by a “damaging chemical state”.
“There are occasions when I’ve… melancholy that isn’t linked to any damaging information, after which ketamine is useful for getting one outdoors out of a damaging state of mind,” Musk stated throughout an interview launched on X on Monday.
Requested if he thought he had ever abused the drug, Musk, who owns X and runs Tesla and SpaceX, stated he didn’t suppose so and that he solely takes a “small quantity” as soon as each different week or so.
“For those who’ve used an excessive amount of ketamine, you may’t actually get work executed and I’ve a number of work – I’m sometimes placing in 16-hour days. That’s regular for me,” Musk stated.
“I can’t actually get wasted as a result of I can’t get my work executed,” he added.
The Don Lemon Present episode 1: Elon Musk
TIMESTAMPS:
(02:23) Information on X
(10:07) Donald Trump and Endorsing a Candidate
(13:04) The New Tesla Roadster
(16:46) Leisure and Video Video games
(17:54) Tweeting and Drug Use
(23:19) The Nice Substitute Concept
(30:03) Content material Moderation… pic.twitter.com/bLRae4DhyO— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 18, 2024
Musk additionally dismissed the suggestion that his drug use may have an effect on his authorities contracts or the perceptions of buyers on Wall Avenue.
“Tesla is value about as a lot as the remainder of the automotive trade mixed, from nothing. That’s fairly good. We had the best-selling automotive on Earth final 12 months. So from buyers’ standpoint, if there’s something I’m taking, I ought to maintain taking it,” he stated.
Musk added that he had mentioned his use of ketamine, which may be prescribed by medical doctors to deal with melancholy and ache, up to now as a result of he thought it may assist different individuals.
The 52-year-old billionaire additionally mentioned assembly former United States President Donald Trump in March, which he stated took place after an impromptu go to by the Republican candidate to his buddy’s home.
“President Trump likes to speak. And so we talked. I don’t recall him saying something that he hasn’t publicly,” Musk stated, including that Trump had not requested a political donation or different monetary help.
Musk stated he could endorse a candidate for November’s presidential election within the “last stretch” however had not but made up his thoughts.
The South African-born naturalised US citizen stated he was not leaning in the direction of a candidate however was “leaning away” from US President Joe Biden.
X introduced a content material partnership with Lemon in January however Musk abruptly cancelled “The Don Lemon Present” final week forward of the airing of the primary episode.
Lemon, whose interview with Musk included a tense change about hate speech on X, stated the Tesla CEO’s said dedication to free speech “appears to not embrace questions of him from individuals like me”.
Musk stated afterward X that Lemon’s method was “mainly simply ‘CNN, however on social media’” and “lacked authenticity”.