4 Answers

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by Newbie (260 points)
edited by
I am leaning towards this statement being true. Elon Musk has been inconsistent with his answers about use or not of Ketamine and other drugs in his multiple interviews.

Musk has stated he hasn't taken Ketamine in a couple years but recently in 2024 the New York times reported that he had taken ketamine once a day so the answers are varied. This is covered up by Trump's social media team in order to keep a clean image. There is a strong possibility as this happened with Trump's protecting his image to a fault.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-lashes-out-in-oval-office-when-asked-about-report-on-his-ketamine-use/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/health/ketamine-effects-anesthetic-elon-musk.html
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ago by Novice (620 points)

This claim came from a reporting from New York Times. Both CBS and X make this assertion, but based on information and citations from the NYT article. In this article, it is never clearly stated that Musk "has been abusing ketamine and other drugs since campaigning with Trump." The Times article asserts that Musk was using drugs when he joined Trump's campaign, which is backed by some evidence, but never clearly claims that Musk has been using drugs ever since. In fact, the NYT article admits that "It is unclear whether Musk, 53, was taking drugs when he became a fixture at the White House this year." So while it may certainly be true that Musk had been taking drugs in the past, particularly at the beginning of the Trump campaign, it is only mere speculation that Musk has continued his drug habit. Musk has admitted using drugs in his past, so this was no revelation. The Times discusses circumstances, such as Musk's "erratic behavior" and interesting lifestyle choices, that may suggest evidence of continued drug usage. Yet, this is only hypotheses and speculation. Even Musk's request to "move on" from questions by the NYT concerning his drug habits is not evidence enough that he is currently engaging in such. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/elon-musk-drugs-children-trump.html

Another article, written by the Guardian, states that it "remains unclear whether Musk was under the influence during his time at the White House."  This article, along with others that I looked into (including CBS, CNBC) reported on evidence of Musk's past drug use and poor lifestyle choices. Words like "reportedly" and comments regarding Musk's actions from "last year" are commonly found. They similarly suggest that Musk very well could be using drugs now, but there is no concrete evidence of this. No source has been able to confirm anything that was reported in the original NYT article, either. 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/30/elon-musk-trump-drug-use

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-lashes-out-in-oval-office-when-asked-about-report-on-his-ketamine-use/

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/30/elon-musk-drugs-trump-.html

From my perspective, these articles latched onto Musk's refusal to answer questions about his drug habits and drastically expanded on his past. They took a controversial and clickbait-y headline to create a bit of drama and make suggestions that are, at this point, impossible to prove one way or the other. There is simply no scientific report or admissions made by Musk that tell us he has been using drugs ever "since campaigning with Trump." What is true of his past is not necessarily true of the present. This claim is both misleading and based on limited, non-concrete evidence. 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
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ago by Newbie (300 points)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-lashes-out-in-oval-office-when-asked-about-report-on-his-ketamine-use/

https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2025/06/elon-musk-ketamine-use/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/health/ketamine-effects-anesthetic-elon-musk.html

There is no proof that Elon Musk has been abusing ketamine, but it's likely. Since the New York Times reported on his reportedly daily ketamine use, CBS News reports that he lashed out at them at the oval office, claiming that they were unreliable reporters. That said, he has gone on record saying that he's had side effects of prolonged ketamine use, like unstable bladder control. He also claims that he has top-secret security clearance that requires drug testing, but considering how he is one of the most powerful people in the world, that could be easily bypassed or he could be lying. The evidence is inconclusive, but evidence points to him at least moderately abusing it.

Exaggerated/ Misleading
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ago by Apprentice (1.0k points)

This claim is likely true. Elon Musk’s extensive use of drugs, including ketamine, was reported by The New York Times in May of 2025. In addition to ketamine, Musk used Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, Adderall, and Ambien, a sleep medication. The accounts of this behavior are based on private messages and interviews with more than a dozen associates of Elon Musk. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal, a reliable news source, reported that several of Musk’s associates “worried his reported drug use could harm his businesses.” According to The New York Times report, it is “It is unclear whether [Musk] was taking drugs when he became a fixture at the White House this year” (The New York Times). However, the claim states that Musk has been abusing ketamine and other drugs since campaigning with Trump, not necessarily during his time at the White House. Around the time of Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump in July of 2024, he “told people that his ketamine use was causing bladder issues” (The New York Times). 

While there is no definitive evidence of Musk’s drug use while working at the White House, he frequently exhibited “erratic behavior,” which possibly supports this claim (CBS News). The New York Times report is corroborated by The Guardian, another reputable news agency. Elon Musk denies his drug use, disparaging the truth of the report in an interview, according to CBS News, and posting on his social media site X, “I am NOT taking drugs!”

There is a possible bias that exists within the original report. Elon Musk was one of Donald Trump’s closest advisors. This is a discrediting report on Musk from The New York Times, a generally left-leaning news agency. Nevertheless, Musk's drug use was also reported by The Wall Street Journal, which is generally right-leaning. Both of these news sources are historically reliable, and the reports are corroborated by The Guardian, which is considered to be another reputable news agency.

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