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Extreme work schedules are being worn as a badge of honor by high-profile tech leaders like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Tesla’s Elon Musk and are putting pressure on staff trying to manage their own work-life balance.
“I work from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. I work seven days a week,” said Huang, CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Nvidia. “When I’m not working, I’m thinking about working… I sit through movies, but I don’t remember them because I’m thinking about work.”
Huang admitted there’s virtually no room for work-life balance in his world. “Sometimes you’re imagining the future. And, boy, if we did this and that. It’s working, you’re fantasizing, you’re dreaming,” he said. “I want to turn NVIDIA into one giant AI. How great would that be? And then I’ll have work-life balance.”
Tesla boss Musk is similarly embracing a round-the-clock schedule. “Back to working 7 days a week and sleeping in the office if my little kids are away,” he boasted on X just a few days ago.
Tesla is expected to report earnings this week - the first since Musk stepped away from his controversial White House role.
Staff feel pressure to follow CEO work hours
Nvidia’s work culture reflects Huang’s round-the-clock ethos. Former employees described an environment where the grind extended well past normal hours, sometimes until one or two in the morning, especially in engineering roles. According to Bloomberg, expectations to work seven days a week were not uncommon, and pressure in meetings reportedly led to shouting matches.
Despite the demanding environment, high compensation at Nvidia has reportedly made some staff reluctant to leave.
Huang acknowledged the reality in a 60 Minutes interview: “If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn’t be easy,” he said.
Even leaders outside tech echo the sentiment. “Even if I am on vacation, you’re on 24 hours a day. You never can really leave,” said That’s It Nutrition CEO Lior Lewensztain. Scale AI cofounder Lucy Gao said, “If you feel the need for work-life balance, maybe you’re not in the right work.”
High expectations without added reward
Musk’s seven-day workweek post aimed to reassure investors of his focus after his political manoeuverings negatively impacted the company's sales. Tesla’s sales dropped 13% year-over-year in the first half, with 721,000 vehicles sold. Analysts had expected closer to 970,000. The company’s Q2 figure of 384,000 matched lowered expectations.
Stock volatility has accompanied Musk’s shifting political affiliations. Following his endorsement of Trump in July 2024, Tesla shares rose to $488.54, but later dropped below $215 amid slumping sales and concerns over tariffs.
As Musk, Huang and other bosses normalize non-stop work and so-called 'grind culture' HR is often left to pick up the pieces and deal with the consequences for employees trying to match their relentless and unhealthy approach.
