JIM CRAMER: Elon Musk should take medical leave from Tesla (TSLA)

Jim Cramer

The CNBC host Jim Cramer says Tesla CEO Elon Musk should take a medical leave.
Tesla shares tumbled Friday in the wake of Musk's interview with The New York Times.
Musk told The Times that the past year had been the "most difficult and painful" of his career and that he needed to take Ambien to sleep.
Watch Tesla trade in real time here.

The 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 Friday. "We know that the safest thing for Musk right now is a medical leave.. I would insist on it."

Cramer made the comment 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 was down more than 8%, falling to a low of $305.70, and essentially gave up 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 the past year had been the "most difficult and painful" of his career as he struggled with making Tesla profitable and battling short-sellers. He said he had worked 120-hour weeks and had sometimes taken Ambien to sleep.

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

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

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