Elon Musk has something to say about Democrats’ work ethic. Currently, there are two groups of people on the internet – one who is all in for longer working hours, the other keenly against it. The tech billionaire seemed to have joined in on the first crowd. He is now among his like-minded peeps, including Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and SN Subrahmanyan of Larsen & Toubro.
Musk recently ranted about how 80 hours per week hasn’t got “any work done” for his Democratic opponents, claiming that the employees of the Department of Government Efficiency work for 120 hours a week. On X (formerly Twitter), the Tesla Owner responded to a post that targeted Democrats. He wrote, “DOGE is working 120 hours a week. Our bureaucratic opponents optimistically work 40 hours a week. That is why they are losing so fast.”
According to his post, he claims that the US government department employees are working around 17 hours per day without any weekends. If someone needs to meet this demand within the weekdays, they have to go straight for 24 hours for five days without any sleep or any other break.
His comment has since garnered quite the attention, with the post amassing 47.9 million views so far. People are divided over his comment. While many supported him, others pointed out the mental and physical fallout one might suffer from this “red flag” schedule. “How do you eat, sleep and have any kind of life in the confines of 7 hours a day? I’ve seen 80 hours a week designing tall buildings burn out many. You can’t do it without a ‘script and approval from your cardiologist,” one user wrote on X. “I wouldn’t work 120 hours even if you pay me a billion. Not a chance. Ever,” another noted.
DOGE is working 120 hour a week. Our bureaucratic opponents optimistically work 40 hours a week. That is why they are losing so fast. https://t.co/dXtrL5rj1K
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
Some people also pointed out some other aspects of the situation. One person wrote, “While working for fed gov, I learned that it’s illegal to work unauthorized overtime. Doing so obligates the government to pay because slavery is illegal. So, how are federal staff in DOGE legally putting in these hours? Multiple shifts?” Another commented, “He is most likely exaggerating.”
Many also commented that in the tech industry, people are so overworked following this kind of schedule with low wages. “The only people who benefit are the bosses,” another person commented below Musk’s post, pointing out the rampant layoff.
120-hour weeks? That’s not a flex, it’s a red flag. Overworked devs make mistakes. Quality > quantity in crypto. DOGE might be digging its own grave.
— Robert M. (@futerica) February 2, 2025
Elon’s tweet reminded everyone about Infosys and L&T. People drew comparisons of him with Murthy and Subrahmanyan, who both advocated for longing working hours before. However, they were only in for 70-90 hours, and Elon Musk set a new standard.
Most people came to the verdict that it’s not sustainable. “I thought you lot were ardent supporters of the family unit?” a user slammed him, pointing out that people working such exhausting schedules often miss important family events.
Lastly, Musk’s own work ethic was also questioned following his remark. “This plays video games half the day while the other half he spends tweeting. Surely no one on earth believes that this man is working 120 hours a week,” a user on X wrote. In the end, social media remains divisive over Elon’s controversial suggestion.
