Elon Musk kicked off his controversial Saturday Night Live hosting gig this weekend by announcing he has Asperger Syndrome (also known as Asperger’s) and claiming that he’s the first person with the neurodevelopmental disorder to host the show in its 46 seasons.
Musk claimed he was “making history” as the first host with Asperger’s “or at least the first to admit it.” “So, I won’t make a lot of eye contact with the cast tonight,” he said. “But don’t worry, I’m pretty good at running ‘human’ in emulation mode.”
But the billionaire should have done his homework before claiming to be the first SNL host with Asperger’s. That distinction actually belongs to former cast member Dan Aykroyd, who was diagnosed with the disorder decades ago and has spoken about it in interviews in recent years.
“I have Asperger’s but I can manage it,” Aykroyd told the Daily Mail back in 2014. “It wasn’t diagnosed until the early ’80s when my wife persuaded me to see a doctor. One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement — I carry around a police badge with me, for example. I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born.”
Aykroyd was one of the original “Not Ready For Primetime Players” on Saturday Night Live, where he served as a cast member from 1975 to 1979. On May 17, 2003, he returned to host the show alongside musical guest Beyoncé. So there you have it: that makes Musk the second person who has been open about their Asperger’s diagnosis to host the show.
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