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Long hours are seemingly part of the job spec when it comes to working at the Department of Government Efficiency, as Elon Musk has revealed exactly how many hours his DOGE staff are putting in every week in order to meet the private agency's goals.
Elon Musk is certainly no stranger to long hours whether it be 17 hour Diablo 4 sessions on Christmas Day or toiling away in the Tesla offices, but it seems like he's also transferred that to his staff at the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Following strong assistance during his campaign trail, US President Donald Trump made Musk the head of the private advisory board, where federal budget cuts of up to $2,000,000,000,000 are planned.
Despite almost immediate lawsuits being placed at the desk of the department's head, DOGE has stormed ahead in its White House offices, reaching its two-week anniversary.
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Many criticized the department's bizarre hiring practices, as at one point it required applicants to purchase X Premium in order to even send off their CV, but it turns out that was only the beginning of it as Musk has revealed the grueling hours that employees are working right now.
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
As reported by Business Insider, Musk revealed on X: "DOGE is working 120 hour a week. Our bureaucratic opponents optimistically work 40 hours a week. That is why they are losing so fast."
120 hours a week across a five day period would equate to literally 24 hours a day, leaving you just 48 hours to do everything else including sleep and eating - but it turns out that DOGE employees are seemingly working every single day for roughly 17 hours.
"Very few in the bureaucracy actually work the weekend, so it's like the opposing team just leaves the field for 2 days," Musk also added in another post on X, outlining that "working the weekend is a superpower." So much for work life balance!
Very few in the bureaucracy actually work the weekend, so it’s like the opposing team just leaves the field for 2 days!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025
Working the weekend is a superpower 😂 https://t.co/VgyBk1nJIO
This aligns with previous statements from Musk claiming he also works 120 hours every single week - but it's unclear right now how much of his time is separated between his different companies, although he certainly has enough spare time to post on social media all day.
Some have raised questions into the authenticity of Musk's statements though, implying that it's more about the meaning behind the statement as opposed to a literal interpretation.
Roi Ginat, CEO of Endless AI, told Business Insider: "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. I believe that Elon's tweet is about an effort, not a new standard at DOGE."
With a strict deadline in place for the department to complete its mission and a lack of confidence from it's leader that the goal is realistic, who know how literal the project of 17 hour days will actually end up being.
