Elon Musk reveals he has Asperger’s in Saturday Night Live appearance
Eccentric billionaire Elon Musk has revealed he has Asperger’s syndrome during an appearance on US sketch show series Saturday Night Live.
The Tesla founder told viewers he was the “first person with Asperger’s” to host the show, “or at least the first person to admit it”.
It is thought to be the first time the outspoken tycoon has publicly said he has the condition, which is a form of autism.
“I don’t always have a lot of intonation or variation in how I speak… which I’m told makes for great comedy,” he said during an opening monologue. “I’m actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger’s to host SNL.”
The comments prompted a round of applause from the studio audience.
People with Asperger’s can find it more difficult to understand and interact with people around them.
The Tesla and Space X boss, who is one of the richest men in the world, was guest hosting the sketch show — a coveted role that has been filled by a number of celebrities including Adele and Will Ferrel.
He also joked about his use of Twitter, where he has more than 50m followers and has sparked controversy in the past.
In 2018 he was handed a $20m fine by US authorities for misleading investors after a tweet saying he was taking Tesla private at $420 per share led to market chaos.
“Look, I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that’s just how my brain works,” he said.
“To anyone who’s been offended, I just want to say I reinvented electric cars, and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?”
Musk also made a series of jokes about cryptocurrency during the show, including comments about Dogecoin.
The tech boss described the virtual currency — which uses a Shiba Inu dog as its mascot — as a “hustle”, prompting an immediate fall in value.