Elon Musk founded Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, Neuralink and other companies and consistently ranks among the top three richest people in the world. But his recent conversation with another powerful CEO shows the price Musk had to pay to achieve wealth – and the management strategies and mindsets he now employs to build successful companies.
Musk explained how he defines ultra-hard work to Nicolai Tangen, CEO of the $1.6 trillion Norges Bank, the world’s largest wealth fund, in an April episode of Tangen’s podcast, In good company.
Ultra hard work is when you “basically work every hour of the day,” Musk said.
When asked how long he could do this, Musk responded that he had been doing it “continuously” for a few years at a time.
Elon Musk. Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
“I did a lot of 100-hour-a-week stints, where I slept about six hours a day,” Musk said. “I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s for emergencies.”
Musk put in those 100-hour weeks during tough times at Tesla and in the early days of some of his startups, when he said he slept under his desk and worked seven days a week.
Related: “Americans work harder” than Europeans, says the CEO of Norges Bank, the world’s largest wealth fund
Musk also discussed supervising hard workers on the podcast, saying that smart people tend to manage themselves and can work from anywhere. His strategy is to outline a common goal and ask them if they agree with it. If they do it, they can do it.
When Tangen asked how Musk balanced micromanagement with delegation, he said he wouldn’t call his style “micromanagement.”
“It’s all about insisting on attention to detail,” Musk said. “If you are trying to make a perfect product, attention to detail is essential.”
Related: Elon Musk says remote workers have ‘Marie Antoinette vibes’
Musk’s latest tactic for building successful companies may be his mindset toward his own impact.
When asked how he would like to be remembered, Musk said he doesn’t care if his legacy is sketchy, as long as he feels like he “did the right thing for the future of consciousness.”
Musk is the CEO of Tesla, which he said this week is on track to produce new, more affordable electric cars, even as revenue has fallen year over year.
Related: Elon Musk tells investors that cheaper Tesla electric cars should arrive sooner than expected