Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has always been known for his extreme work ethic. Over the years, he’s repeatedly said that long hours and intense dedication are central to his success. His approach is simple: The more time you put in, the more you get out.
Working Nonstop, Sleeping On The Floor
“You need to work super hard,” Musk told graduates during a 2014 commencement speech at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
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He recalled how he and his brother started their first company by sleeping in their office and showering at the YMCA. “We were so hard-up that we only had one computer,” he said. The website was up during the day, and he was coding at night.
“I work hard, like every waking hour,” Musk told the graduates. He explained his mindset like this: “If somebody else is working 50 hours [per week] and you’re working 100, you’ll get twice as much done in the course of a year as the other company.” He said it's just “simple math.”
During Tesla’s Model 3 production crunch in 2018, Musk famously slept on the factory floor so he could keep an eye on operations. Why on the floor? Because apparently, “the couch was too narrow.”
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Trillion-Dollar Targets And ‘Tall Orders’
Fast forward to this year, and Musk’s work ethic is once again in the spotlight. This time, it's tied to his record-breaking compensation package from Tesla, worth up to $1 trillion. Shareholders approved the pay plan on Nov. 6, with more than 75% in favor.
The package comes with some huge goals. To unlock the full payout, Musk must hit milestones such as delivering 20 million vehicles annually, putting 1 million robotaxis into service, selling 1 million Optimus humanoid robots, gaining 10 million Full Self-Driving subscriptions, reaching $400 billion in EBITDA, and pushing Tesla's market cap to $8.5 trillion.
Musk acknowledged on X recently that meeting those targets is a challenge. “It sure is a tall order,” he wrote, adding, “There will inevitably be some bumps along the way, but, with a truly immense amount of work, I think these goals can be accomplished.”
He also encouraged regular investors to buy Tesla stock and “come along for the ride.”
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Work Ethic Or Burnout?
Musk’s approach has inspired many entrepreneurs and business leaders, but it’s also drawn criticism. In response to Musk's 2018 comments that “nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week,” United Auto Workers Communications Specialist Diana Hussein wrote, “The people who fought for (including those who died) the 40 hour work week changed the world. It helped ensure corporate shills like you don't exploit people's work like you'd wish to.”
Still, Musk’s philosophy is relentless: work harder than everyone else, and you’ll get ahead.
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