Elon Musk Drug Use Concerns Business Leaders | Pivot

Dr. Swisher describes ketamine as an FDA‑approved, WHO‑listed anesthetic widely used because it doesn’t depress breathing or heart function, can be administered in multiple ways, and often produces short‑acting, euphoric dissociation useful in surgery and emergency care.

Low-dose ketamine and esketamine (Spravato) show statistically significant short‑term benefits for unipolar and bipolar depression and PTSD, yet remain third‑line treatments; clinic dosing is tightly controlled, unlike unpredictable, higher recreational use that increases psychological dependency risk.

While not strongly physically addictive like opioids, chronic high‑dose use can lead to psychological dependence, dissociation that impairs normal functioning, and potential liver and kidney damage, especially when combined with other substances or binge patterns.

The hosts and Dr. Swisher warn that coverage linking ketamine primarily to deaths (e.g., Matthew Perry) or scandal (Musk) risks regulatory backlash that could restrict a highly effective anesthetic and a promising depression treatment used safely every day in medicine.

Galloway argues Musk’s boards function more as bystanders and beneficiaries than true fiduciaries, tolerating behavior—including public drug incidents and online attacks—that would be unacceptable for a conventional CEO, suggesting a governance failure rather than isolated misconduct.