Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has forcefully denied claims by The New York Times that he used ketamine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms extensively while advising President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign and his early months in office.
Okay.ng reports that in a fiery response posted Saturday on X (formerly Twitter), the Tesla and SpaceX CEO stated plainly: “To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.”
The Times had published a report on Friday alleging Musk’s heavy drug use, claiming it may have led to bladder complications and citing his alleged behavior while heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — a Trump-created agency that slashed thousands of federal jobs in early 2025.
The newspaper further claimed Musk frequently traveled with a pill box and noted that he was seen displaying erratic behavior, including a controversial moment during a Trump inauguration rally where he gave what was described as a “Nazi-style salute.”
Responding to the controversy, Musk acknowledged past ketamine use but insisted it was prescription-based and not recent.
“I tried ‘prescription’ ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then,” he wrote.
The report gained even more traction following Musk’s farewell appearance with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, where he was seen with a black eye, prompting speculation. Musk downplayed the injury, saying it came from playfully encouraging his five-year-old son, X, to hit him in the face — a challenge the boy took seriously.
“Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually is…” Musk added, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Meanwhile, when questioned by a reporter about Musk’s alleged drug habits, Trump responded dismissively: “I wasn’t [aware]. I think Elon is a fantastic guy.”
Musk has previously spoken openly about using ketamine to address mental health struggles, suggesting the drug had a positive effect on his productivity. But he emphasized Saturday that his usage had long since stopped.
