Elon Musk expects his employees to put in 80-hour weeks, yet he himself doesn’t even spend half that time at Tesla

A group of twelve big Tesla investors, who together manage about $950 billion in assets, recently sent a letter to Tesla’s board asking for some changes. They want Elon Musk to spend at least 40 hours a week focused on Tesla. They’re worried he’s spread too thin, since he’s divided across too many ventures like Neuralink (which is working on technology that might even replace smartphones), SpaceX, X, and more.

Tesla investors push Elon Musk to refocus on the company

According to an article from MeinMMO, Tesla shareholders including pension funds, union-backed SOC Investment Group, the American Federation of Teachers, and city/state officials are asking the company’s board (led by Robyn Denholm) to make Elon Musk commit to working at least 40 hours a week at Tesla. They’re concerned that he’s too distracted by his other companies and political engagements, which they believe has led to declining sales and profits, a volatile and underperforming stock, and damage to Tesla’s global reputation, especially regarding labor practices.

Alongside the time commitment, the investors also want a solid CEO backup plan in case he steps away. They’re pushing for limits on how many outside boards Tesla directors can sit on, and they want at least one new board member who’s truly independent, with no ties to Musk or his inner circle. All of this comes at a time when shareholders are reviewing Musk’s next compensation package, which they think should include that 40-hour-a-week commitment.

Elon Musk has long demanded 80 to 100-hour weeks from his employees (especially during crunch periods) but lately, it seems he hasn’t held himself to the same standard when it comes to Tesla. That kind of demand is already tough to justify, but it becomes even more problematic when the person setting the bar isn’t fully on board themselves.

Musk has said on X that he’s scaling back his Washington role and plans to go “24/7” at Tesla again.

• Elon Musk
• Tesla