In a tweet earlier this year, Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk responded to a physician's claim that sugar is poison by tweeting, "I eat a donut every morning. Still alive."
The tweet quickly went viral, igniting debates about sugar and Musk's eating habits.
Over the years Musk has admitted he doesn't have the healthiest diet. "I'd rather eat tasty food and live a shorter life," Musk said in 2020 on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.
Aside from the daily donut, Musk is known to enjoy sushi, steak, chocolate, coffee and caffeine-free Diet Coke. He is not a big fan of vegetables, opting instead for a diet centered around meat and potatoes.
A poor diet has strong links to obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, leading to severe health consequences such as premature death, disability and financial strain. An unhealthy diet can also result in increased food expenses and higher healthcare costs. While Musk has no financial concerns, nearly half of all Americans struggle to afford healthcare costs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
To address these issues, there's always new innovations. From Amazon.com, Inc.'s recent launch of their pharmacy business. Startups like iRemedy are raising thousands from retail investors to help offer affordable medical supplies and personal protective equipment, ensuring accessible healthcare solutions for those in need.
Musk's food choices are surprising since he's the richest man in the world with a net worth of $239 billion and has access to any meal from around the globe or the option of having a personal chef.
Equally surprising is the fact that his mother, Maye Musk, is a registered dietitian. She became a registered dietitian in 1970, after graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics. She is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Despite his love for donuts and other "tasty foods," Musk remains mindful of weight gain and its potential impact on factors like the immune system. He acknowledged, "Being overweight is a big deal."
As the years have passed, Musk has found it more challenging to maintain a lean physique, admitting, "The older I get, the harder [it is] to stay lean, that's for sure." In the Rogan interview he explained, "To be totally frank, I wouldn't exercise at all if I could. I prefer not to exercise."
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In April, Musk said that he lost over 20 pounds last year by adopting a combination of periodic fasting and using Wegovy, a semaglutide product by Novo Nordisk. Initially hesitant about taking medication, he decided to give intermittent fasting a shot for a month to assess its impact on his weight-loss goals.
Musk isn't the only billionaire who indulges in less-than-healthy food choices. Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are among others who have openly spoken about their appetites for junk food.
Buffett is known for his love of McDonald's breakfast, Coca-Cola and Dairy Queen Blizzards, asserting that he consumes them because he genuinely enjoys them and doesn't consider them to be unhealthy. He has even joked that he has the diet of a 6-year-old.
Gates labels himself a "junk food junkie," openly admitting his love for french fries, ice cream and pizza along with sugary drinks like Mountain Dew and Diet Coke.
Zuckerberg is often seen enjoying Chipotle burritos, which he claims to have almost daily for lunch, alongside other indulgent treats like pizza and ice cream.
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