Elon Musk has developed a reputation for his grueling management style on Twitter, demanding long hours and high levels of commitment from his staff. However, this behavior is not new for the billionaire entrepreneur, as evidenced by his early startup, Zip2. Published in February 2022, “The Founders” by Jimmy Soni covers the rise of Musk and his PayPal co-founders, including Zip2’s early days. Musk and his brother Kimbal founded Zip2 in 1995, an online business directory with maps that predated Google or Apple’s navigation platforms.
According to Soni’s book, Zip2 rented a “spartan Palo Alto office space,” and Musk would sleep at the office and shower at the nearby YMCA. In 1996, a “perpetually sleep-deprived” Musk openly berated other executives and colleagues. Musk admitted in an interview with biographer Ashlee Vance that he had never managed anyone before.
Fast forward to Musk’s management of Twitter, which began when he took over the company in November 2021. Musk immediately implemented a demanding schedule, stating that he would sleep at the office “until the org is fixed” and ordering staff to commit to working “extremely hardcore” or receive three months’ severance via a midnight email.
Musk has turned some of Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters into bedrooms for employees, including one for himself, which officials later ordered to be properly labeled as a sleeping area or converted back to an office. According to Insider’s Kali Hays, Musk walks around the office and asks people at random what they’re working on, creating a tense atmosphere where employees must answer carefully to avoid being fired.
Insights into his Twitter Behavior and Success with Companies
In addition, Musk reportedly fired a Twitter engineer who explained why his popularity on the platform was declining. One employee told the tech newsletter Platformer that Musk was known to say nonsensical things late at night. Despite his intense management style, Musk has seen success with his companies. Zip2 sold for $307 million in 1999, while Musk’s later online payment company X.com (which merged with Thiel’s company to form PayPal) was successful as well.
Musk’s work ethic has not diminished since his Zip2 days. According to “The Founders,” Musk’s cofounder at X.com, Harris Fricker, would arrive for work before the financial markets opened at 6:30 a.m., while Musk would stop working at 4 a.m. with a catnap on his office floor. Musk revealed in February 2022 that he had worked an average of more than 120 hours a week since taking over Twitter, exemplifying his dedication to his companies.
