Elon Musk lashed out at The New York Times over a bombshell report accusing him of heavy drug use while serving as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
The report claims Musk told people he was using ketamine so often it started affecting his bladder. It also alleges he took psychedelic mushrooms and ecstasy during his time in Washington. According to sources cited by the paper, Musk traveled with a box containing around 20 pills, some labeled Adderall.
Musk didn’t take the report lightly. At a press conference in the Oval Office on Friday—his final day in the DOGE role—he lashed out when a Fox News reporter brought it up.
“Is The New York Times — is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on the Russiagate? Is that the same organization? I think it is,” Musk snapped, turning to former President Trump, who nodded and replied, “It is.”
Musk kept going: “I think the judge just ruled against The New York Times for their lies about the Russiagate hoax, and they may have to give back their Pulitzer Prize. That New York Times. Let’s move on.”
Musk was referring to a recent court ruling that allows Trump’s lawsuit against the Pulitzer Board to proceed. Trump has accused the board of refusing to rescind a Pulitzer Prize awarded to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Backlash against Musk didn’t stop there. A viral video clip from a dinner in March resurfaced online, showing Musk balancing spoons at a table while Shivon Zilis, one of his children’s mothers, watched silently. The video reignited speculation about his drug use. (See it below)
A user on X (formerly Twitter) captioned the clip: “Musk playing with his silverware while tripping on ketamine at Bedminster.” That post blew up—prompting even some of Musk’s defenders to jump in.
Paul Graham, a well-known tech figure, tried to normalize the video. “You don’t need ketamine to make these,” he tweeted. “I always make them. In our family we call them ‘Robert towers,’ after Robert Morris, who also makes them.”
Musk wasn’t having it. He fired back: “I’m not on ketamine ffs.”
Graham replied, “That’s what I’m saying. Making cutlery towers isn’t evidence that someone’s on drugs. You could take an identical video of me at a dinner.”
But Musk’s denial stands in stark contrast to what he’s said in the past. In August 2023, he tweeted: “I have serious concerns about SSRIs, as they tend to zombify people. Occasional use of Ketamine is a much better option, in my opinion. I have a prescription for when my brain chemistry sometimes goes super negative.”
Then in a 2024 interview with Don Lemon, Musk admitted he takes a “small amount” of ketamine to deal with depression.
“There are times when I have a sort of … negative chemical state in my brain,” he said. “Ketamine is helpful for getting one out of a negative frame of mind.”
Even as Trump praised Musk’s work at DOGE—saying, “Elon is not really leaving”—the drug allegations refused to go away.
While Musk insists, “I’m not on ketamine,” his public statements, tweets, and behavior continue to raise questions he can’t seem to shake.
Musk playing with his silverware while tripping on ketamine at Bedminster.pic.twitter.com/2nvI7Wzuri
— Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) March 22, 2025
