Elon Musk, who holds the title of the world’s richest man, has reportedly been using drugs during his time at the White House as the United States President Donald Trump’s advisor, according to The New York Times.
Musk, who is leaving the Trump administration, was accused of consuming ketamine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms. NYT claimed, citing anonymous sources, that the X owner’s drug use increased during Trump’s election campaign.
It should be noted that ecstasy is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Schedule I controlled substance with no accepted medical use, making it entirely prohibited for federal employees. However, ketamine is a Schedule III substance, which can be legally prescribed.
NYT claims that Musk has developed a serious ketamine addiction, consuming the powerful anesthetic sometimes daily rather than the “small amount” taken “about once every two weeks” he claimed in interviews.
“If you’ve used too much ketamine, you can’t really get work done, and I have a lot of work,” Musk previously told journalist Don Lemon in March 2024, downplaying his consumption.
What does Elon Musk say about NYT’s accusations?
Elon Musk has slammed NYT, denying that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the 2024 campaign trail.
In a post Saturday on X, Musk said: “To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.”
He added: “I tried ‘prescription’ ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this [is] not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.”
