Elon Musk, CEO of the automobile giant Tesla, is set to become the world’s first trillionaire. As someone who used to be US President Donald Trump’s closest ally, he has seen a tumultuous year. From becoming the Chief of the Department of Government Efficiency to briefly losing his world’s richest status to Larry Ellison. However, his billionaire status is now more solid than ever.
In an old resurfaced interview, the SpaceX CEO is seen advocating working for as many as a hundred hours a week. “Work like hell,” he remarked and gave a faster way to succeed. Echoing the voice of other tech entrepreneurs, this was Musk’s take on the work-life balance debate.
Elon Musk’s 100-hour work week
Advising founders and employees to essentially put in more hours, Musk said, “Work like hell, like 80 to 100 hours a week – every week.” Indeed, it’s a lot of work, and that is how you “improve the odds of success.”
This is not only a pathway to success, but also a fast-tracked journey towards achieving your goals. Musk explained, “If other people are putting in 40-hour work weeks and you’re putting in 100-hour work weeks, then even if you’re doing the same thing, in one year you will achieve what it takes them one year, in 4 months.”
This resurfaced interview was welcomed with divided reactions from the Internet. While a user opined, “Work smarter, not harder. Life is a balance,” others felt putting more hours was the one true answer for “faster results, more followers, bigger payouts, and better clients.”
While work-life balance advocates try to prove the Tesla chief wrong. “I wish he was right, but there is no way you achieve 2x in 80 hours.” A netizen called this lifestyle “unhealthy,” while another questioned the idea of success.
CEOs who support Musk’s stand
This is not the first time the billionaires and millionaires have advised the aspirational founders to work for longer hours. From Microsoft’s Bill Gates to Alibaba’s Jack Ma, these founders have been known to work tirelessly in their early years to build their empire. Musk has even admitted to working 120-hour work weeks, which have ‘wearing’, but justified when his success is at stake.
During his early years, Gates worked around 80 hours a week, spending endless time coding and building his dream. His memoir and several past interviews reveal how, for decades, his relentless effort paid off in making Microsoft the revolutionary giant it is today. Several others, like Jeff Immelt, Former CEO of GE, have supported the lifestyle. Jack Ma is known for his controversial 996 work schedule, which even sparked labour debates.
In fact, several Indian CEOs and startup founders like Zepto’s Aadit Palicha have reveald that their team often puts in long hours. Scale AI co-founder Lucy Guo, the youngest self-made female billionaire, advocates 90-hour work weeks for founders in their early years to set their passion project apart from the crowd.
