A light emitting element drive apparatus capable of always outputting the lowest voltage satisfying the drive conditions and having a high light emitting efficiency and a low power loss, and a portable apparatus using the same, comprising an LED drive apparatus 10 to which LEDs 20-1 to 20-n of different drive voltages required for emitting light are connected in parallel and driving one or more LEDs, wherein the LED drive apparatus 10 has drive circuits 13-1 to 13-n connected to the corresponding LEDs among a plurality of LEDs and driving the corresponding LEDs with luminances based on set values and power supply circuits 14 and 15 for deciding a drive voltage value required for the highest light emission among one or more LEDs driven to emit light based on drive states of drive circuits (for example terminal voltages of the current source) and supplying a drive voltage having at least the decided value to a plurality of LEDs in parallel.