Elon Musk Reveals 'Painful' and 'Excruciating' Year in Tear-Filled Interview
Elon Musk is admitting that the stress of his multibillion-dollar companies is taking a toll on his well-being.
“This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career,” Musk — the co-founder and CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and Neuralink — told the New York Times on Thursday. “It was excruciating.”
Musk — who reportedly alternated between laughing and crying during his interview — detailed a life filled with 120-hour work weeks, which has often prevented him from seeing family and almost kept him from making it to his brother’s wedding in Catalonia.
This intense schedule has been the case for the better part of the last two decades, which has spanned Musk’s three marriages, the births of his twins and triplets and the loss of his infant son in 2002 due to SIDS.
“There were times when I didn’t leave the factory for three or four days — days when I didn’t go outside,” he said. “This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids. And seeing friends.
When Musk turned 47 in June, there wasn’t much of a celebration, he “struggled” to tell the newspaper. He spent the entire 24 hours of the day at work.
All night — no friends, nothing,” Musk said.
Because he has trouble resting, the Tesla CEO — who dated actress Amber Heard on and off for years — also admitted he sometimes uses Ambien, a powerful sleep medication.
“It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien,” he said. The Times reported that members of Tesla’s board have expressed concern about his use of the medication, which can sometimes prove addictive.
