Elon Musk is once again embracing the grind—albeit with a caveat. The billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX said he’s ready to return to his punishing routine of working seven days a week and sleeping at the office. But this time, he’ll only do it if his “little kids are away.”

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk revisited his brutal past schedule by sharing an old interview clip in which he spoke about the toll that excessive work hours had taken on him.

“Back to working 7 days a week and sleeping in the office if my little kids are away,” he wrote, offering a glimpse into a version of Musk that’s slightly more self-aware.

In the video, Musk admitted that such a lifestyle was emotionally and physically taxing, saying the experience “hurts my brain and my heart.”

Back to working 7 days a week and sleeping in the office if my little kids are away https://t.co/77cc6sRCFZ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2025

Long Hours, High Stakes

Musk is no stranger to pushing the limits of personal endurance. In an earlier interview, he revealed that he clocked 120-hour work weeks during Tesla’s early struggles with the Model 3 rollout. As the company haemorrhaged cash, Musk was on the factory floor troubleshooting issues, night after night.

His living arrangements were equally extreme—he slept on-site for three years, sometimes under his desk, sometimes on a couch, and even in a tent on the factory’s rooftop. “It was damn uncomfortable,” he recalled in the earlier interview, adding that he often woke up smelling like metal dust.

These stories have come to define Musk’s brand of hands-on leadership, where physical presence and sleepless nights are badges of honour.

Work-Life Balance

Musk’s unrelenting drive has long been a subject of both admiration and concern. Earlier this year, he spotlighted his DOGE team—short for Department of Government Efficiency—saying they regularly put in 120-hour work weeks. While Musk calls it dedication, critics warn that glorifying overwork sets a dangerous precedent in tech and corporate culture.

Mental health advocates have repeatedly argued that chronic overworking leads to burnout, poor decision-making, and long-term health consequences. This rare acknowledgement of a work-life boundary adds a new layer to Musk’s public persona.

As Musk continues to juggle his leadership roles at Tesla, SpaceX, X, and other ventures, his willingness to return to relentless hours may inspire followers—or reignite debate about what leadership in tech should really look like.