Elon Musk reveals he has Asperger's syndrome

Elon Musk made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and if the Tesla inventor’s appearance on the comedy skit wasn’t surprising, he had other shocking revelations as well. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla casually slid in how he has Asperger’s in the middle of his SNL bit.

While Elon Musk is known for his off-beat humor and his challenges in public speaking, no one thought it might be because he is on the spectrum.

What’s is Asperger’s syndrome?

Asperger’s is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication. This includes trouble communicating because they miss social cues, like body language, expressions, etc. They often avoid eye contact with people.

Asperger’s is part of a broader neurodevelopment disorder called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). People with Asperger’s are on the more functional end of the spectrum. They are smart, and can be very driven or “have an obsessive focus on one topic or action”.

According to the UK’s National Autism Society, those with Asperger’s can find it harder: “In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family, school, work, and social life.”

In his SNL monologue, the SpaceX CEO revealed that he has Asperger’s. Adding that he was the first host to admit it on the late-night comedy show. Some people that closely followed Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX success have previously remarked that the CEO’s antics are as though ‘he’s on the spectrum. So they guessed right.

This admission will probably only add to the admiration towards Elon Musk.

Not many people with Asperger’s make it into the spotlight, but those that do are prodigies in their respective fields. Other key figures that had Asperger’s include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sir Isaac Newton, Jerry Seinfeld, Nikola Tesla, and Marie Curie.

Previously in his appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, the Tesla co-founder joked about his strange habits saying ‘he became characterized as a CEO who is always high’. Elon Musk explained that while he may be strange, that’s simply how his brain works.

“Look, I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that’s just how my brain works. 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?” he said.