Elon Musk says DOGE works 120 hours a week, thrice that of ‘bureaucratic opponents’

“Our bureaucratic opponents optimistically work 40 hours a week. That is why they are losing so fast,” Musk wrote in a post on X (Formerly Twitter) on Sunday.

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It has only been two weeks since Musk took the role of heading the department aimed to cut down government expenditure.

Before that, he had also made another post on X, saying “Working the weekend is a superpower,” since “very few in the bureaucracy actually work the weekend, so it’s like the opposing team just leaves the field for 2 days!”

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Musk is known for his relentless work ethic, often saying that he works 120-hour weeks and also expects his employees to work long hours.

He mandated an 80-hour workweek after taking over Twitter in October 2022, according to a Business Insider report. He is now trying to bring the Silicon Valley work ethic to the US government.

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However, the report quoted Roi Ginat, the CEO of Endless AI as saying that “driving a team too hard for too long leads to fatigue and burnout.”

“Many people simply won’t function well without enough sleep, and as fatigue sets in, errors increase,” he added. “I believe that Elon’s tweet is about an effort, not a new standard at DOGE.”

He further said that though he himself regularly works 85 hours a week, “great work ideas often come while I hike with my kids.”

However, Shannon Copeland, CEO of SIB, a cost-cutting firm, told Business Insider that “while a 120-hour workweek isn’t a practical or sustainable solution for most, the principle behind it resonates. Companies that prioritize efficiency, automation, and proactive cost management will always outperform those weighed down by bureaucracy.”