Tesla CEO Elon Musk should take a medical leave, Jim Cramer says

CNBC

• CNBC host Jim Cramer says Tesla CEO Elon Musk should take a medical leave.
• Cramer’s comes after Tesla shares tumbled on Friday in the wake of Musk’s interview with the New York Times.
• Musk told the Times that this has been the “most difficult and painful year” of his career and that he’s needed to take Ambien to sleep.
• Watch Tesla trade in real time here.

CNBC host Jim Cramer thinks Elon Musk should take a medical leave from Tesla.

“Devasting New York Times piece filled with new facts,” Cramer tweeted on Friday. “We know that the safest thing for Musk right now is a medical leave.. I would insist on it.”

Cramer’s comment comes in response to a question directed at him on Twitter, asking what he thought about the sell-off taking place in Tesla shares on Friday.

The stock is down more than 8%, falling to a low $305.70, and has essentially wiped out all of the gains that followed its second-quarter results. Shares are now more than 25% below the $420 price that Musk said he was aiming to take the electric-car maker private at.

Late Thursday, the New York Times published an interview with Musk in which the Tesla CEO said this has been the “most difficult and painful year” of his career as he has struggled with making Tesla profitable and battled against short sellers. He said that he’s had to work 120-hour weeks and that he’s had to take ambien to go to sleep. 

The Times reported that some board members had expressed concern about Musk’s use of Ambien, citing two people familiar with the board.

Tesla shares are down 1% this year, including Friday. 

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