Does Elon Musk do drugs? That's what eyewitnesses say

It is commonly thought that celebrities and the ultra-rich are different from ordinary people; however, it is not quite the case as they also encounter the same physical and mental distress as others do.

According to a report published in the Wall Street Journal, tech billionaire and CEO SpaceX Elon Musk takes the drug ketamine to manage his depression.

"The 51-year-old CEO also uses psychedelic-like substances at parties," the report said citing witnesses.

Musk, who is also the owner of Twitter, urged the promotion of psychedelics and ketamine as alternative antidepressants — widely used at parties and for treating depression.

Ketamine is a substance which is taken legally through an injection with the help of a doctor in the US as an anaesthetic.

Elon Musk was under the spotlight after smoking marijuana on a podcast in 2018, which is legal in California but federally illegal, raising questions about his aerospace firm’s agreements with Nasa.

He had said that he alongside his SpaceX employees was subjected to regular drug tests after the incident.

Musk told people he microdoses the substance, according to the report, which means a small amount of intake to improve productivity or creativity or treat depression and anxiety.

Former CEO of Apple Steve Jobs openly talked about his use of LSD, while Justin Zhu, the co-founder of marketing start-up Iterable, was ousted as CEO in 2021 for using substances at work.

While explaining the benefits of the drug, he tweeted last year: "I've talked to many more people who were helped by psychedelics & ketamine than SSRIs and amphetamines."

"People should be open to psychedelics," he said. 

A longtime friend, David Marglin, has said that he has been on "mild exploratory journeys" with the CEO of Tesla.

Musk also Tweeted Tuesday: "Zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much. From what I've seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option."

Interest to use ketamine for depression has been widely observed with a number of providers in the UK offering the treatment but not prescribed on the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which approves drugs for use in the NHS, rejected a ketamine nasal spray last year.