Billionaire Elon Musk told viewers of Saturday Night Live he has Asperger’s syndrome shortly after he took the stage for his guest host appearance on the legendary sketch show.
During his opening monologue, the eccentric and controversial leader of Tesla and SpaceX referred to himself as “the first person with Asperger’s to host SNL,” the first time he’s appeared to link himself to the condition.
Musk isn’t actually the first SNL host with Asperger’s syndrome: Former cast member Dan Aykroyd hosted the show in 2003, and he has openly discussed his Asperger’s, the Daily Beast noted.
Musk used the rest of his monologue to poke fun at his reputation for grandiosity, his penchant for Twitter trolling, and his fascination with dogecoin, a “joke” cryptocurrency that’s soared in value after he started championing it.
Asperger’s syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder usually linked to social difficulties but fairly strong verbal and cognitive skills. Some observers and hiring managers have suggested people with Asperger’s can perform well in tech, entrepreneurship, and other fields that require strong analytical skills.
