Elon Musk says his ketamine use is good for Tesla investors

Elon Musk defended his medicine for ketamine, saying his usage of nan supplier helps him alleviate a "negative chemic mind state" that benefits investors successful Tesla, nan electrical car shaper he leads arsenic CEO.

Musk made nan comments successful an hour-long question and reply pinch erstwhile CNN big Don Lemon, who posted nan sometimes contentious speech Monday connected societal media, including connected Musk's X (formerly known arsenic Twitter) platform.

Tesla didn't instantly respond to a petition for comment. 

Even earlier nan question and reply was made public, nan chat had garnered attraction erstwhile Musk abruptly canceled X's statement pinch Lemon soon aft he interviewed nan billionaire. In January, X had announced that Lemon would bring his "unique and honorable voice" to nan societal media institution successful 3 30-minute episodes per week. 

Lemon's question and reply pinch Musk delves into galore topics, ranging from nan entrepreneur's views connected title to X's loss of advertisers complete his antisemitic comments, pinch Musk increasing progressively ill-tempered pinch Lemon complete nan people of nan discussion. Questioned by Lemon astir his usage of drugs, Musk noted that he has a physician's medicine for ketamine, a "dissociative anesthetic hallucinogen" that was cited arsenic a cause of character Matthew Perry's death past year, and that he takes it erstwhile each different week.

Musk had antecedently disclosed he has a medicine for nan drug, penning connected X successful August that he takes ketamine for erstwhile his encephalon "goes ace negative."

In nan question and reply pinch Lemon, Musk defended his usage of ketamine by pointing to Tesla's worth arsenic a publically held company, suggesting that taking nan supplier has helped him lead nan automaker. 

"What matters is execution," Musk said. "Tesla is worthy astir arsenic overmuch arsenic nan remainder of nan car manufacture combined, from nothing. From an investor's standpoint, if location is thing I'm taking, I should support taking it."

Musk added that he doesn't maltreatment ketamine because of his workload, which he said often involves 16-hour days and moving connected nan weekends. "I can't really get wasted because I can't get my activity done," he said.

Tesla shares roseate 6.3% connected Monday. They've plunged astir 30% truthful acold this year, compared pinch a 9% summation for nan S&P 500 index.

In a March 13 statement, issued aft Musk canceled nan X business pinch Lemon, nan societal media level said it "champions free speech." But it added that "like immoderate enterprise, we reserve nan correct to make decisions astir our business partnerships."

A testy speech pinch Musk

The question and reply ended pinch testy remarks from Musk complete Lemon's questioning of X's free reside policies and nan nonaccomplishment of large advertisers. In November, Musk had said fleeing advertisers could "kill nan company," but astatine nan aforesaid clip blasted businesses that were seeking to region themselves from nan societal media service. 

In nan Lemon interview, Musk defended his approach, saying X wouldn't censor contented astatine nan petition of advertisers. 

"You said if they termination nan company, it's done. But doesn't nan subordinate extremity pinch you?" Lemon asked.

"Choose your mobility carefully. There are 5 minutes left," Musk replied.

After Lemon repeated nan question, Musk responded, "I acquired X successful bid to sphere state of reside successful America, nan First Amendment. If that intends making little money, truthful beryllium it."

A fewer seconds later, Musk noted that he was upset astatine nan measurement Lemon was asking questions, describing it arsenic "not cogent." He besides added that advertisers are returning to X. 

"I consciousness very optimistic astir nan early of nan X platform," he said.

In:
• Elon Musk
• Don Lemon