Billionaire Mindset: Vinod Khosla, an Indian-origin billionaire venture capitalist in the US, has amassed a net worth of $13 billion via his company Khosla Ventures, according to Forbes. But the man has said in the past that he still works at least 80-hours a week. His inspiration? None other than Warren Buffett.
Based in Silicon Valley, the billionaire venture capitalist is known for his discipline, dedication, and commitment. After spending 18 years in corporate, he launched his own fund that invested in experimental technologies such as biomedicine, robotics, and AI. Speaking to Eric Newcomer on his show ‘The Cerebral Valley Podcast,’ Khosla revealed how he draws huge inspiration from Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha.
‘I clearly plan to do health permitting’ – Khosla has no plans to retire soon
Khosla said he has no plans to retire anytime soon. Having watched many people retire and grow old, he intends to continue working for at least the next 25 years, provided his health allows it. By then, he noted, he would be the same age as Warren Buffett, who continues to remain highly active in business even at an advanced age.
“I’ve seen too many people retire and grow old. So I clearly plan to do — health permitting — this for the next 25 years. And then I’ll be Warren Buffett’s age, and he’s still doing it,” Khosla said in the podcast.
‘Vinod operates on a different level than most humans’: Ex co-worker reveals Khosla would be in meetings from 7 AM to 9 PM
Recalling in a blog post on Medium, Kristina Simmons, who reportedly spent over 3 years working at Khosla Ventures, shared in 2021, “Vinod operates on a different level than most humans.” Simmons claimed that the billionaire is in and out of meetings throughout the day. Never wasting a minute, he takes his work on vacation but logs off at 7 or 8 PM to head to the destination. But where work is involved, he would be in meetings from 7 AM to 9 PM. Simmons shared, “Perhaps during Y-combinator, he will take 10 hours of back-to-back 15-minute meetings on a Sunday!”
While this is no unique trait for high-functioning individuals, a Business Insider report revealed that Tesla founder Elon Musk had a 120-hour workweek, which made him feel like he was ageing ‘five years in one’. Another Financial Times report revealed that Steve Squeri, the CEO of American Express, worked 17 hours a day and even responds to over 100 customer emails a day.
Khosla’s advice for Gen Z: ‘Follow your passion’ is no longer applicable
In a March interview with Fortune, Khosla said that the popular career advice “follow your passion” is no longer relevant in today’s world. He argued that in the coming years, artificial intelligence and rapid technological change will transform the job market so dramatically that survival will no longer be a concern for most people. Once basic survival is taken care of, people will once again be able to truly follow their passion.
“Fifteen years from now, you will say what is bad advice today or what used to be?” ‘Follow your passion,” Khosla said in the podcast. “Follow your passion comes second to surviving. “I think that surviving part will go away, and you’ll tell every 5-year-old kid, ‘Follow your passion,'” he added.
The billionaire’s advice to Gen Z was not for them to panic, but to encourage them to build one skill that cannot be automated, with the ability to learn rapidly and continuously, as he still strives to learn more.