Some would say that Elon Musk is one of the most influential entrepreneurs and innovators of the 21st century.
Born in South Africa, in 1971, Musk displayed an early interest in computing and engineering. After moving to the United States, he founded several companies that would shape entire industries, including PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
He is also the owner of X (formerly Twitter). Widely recognized for his relentless work ethic and visionary mindset, Musk is committed to advancing technology for the future of humanity.
His daily routine reflects his intense focus, productivity hacks, and drive to push boundaries, while balancing his role as a father and a global business leader.
How we researched this routine: We analyzed his lifestyle and somewhat “extreme work ethic” by reviewing his public interviews on credible websites, YouTube videos, as well as some of his Tweets.
Elon Musk usually wakes up around 9:00 to 9:30 am, after getting approximately six hours of sleep.
Although he admits to having the bad habit of checking his phone first thing in the morning, it’s something he wants to change.
Unlike several other entrepreneurs he doesn’t work out or meditate, since he jumps straight into work by checking for any emergency emails overnight or attending meetings.
We can only imagine how hectic his inbox is!
Musk isn’t a big fan of breakfast which is why he often skips it.
But when he doesn’t, he usually opts for a coffee with an omelette or steak & eggs.
He’s also a big fan of donuts (who isn’t?) and when author Peter Diamandis tweeted that “sugar is poison”, Musk famously replied with:
I eat a donut every morning. Still alive.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2023
He then drives straight to work as he has no time to lose!
Musk’s afternoons are structured around back-to-back meetings, design reviews, and engineering discussions across his companies.
He uses several productivity tactics, allocating micro-blocks of time to avoid distractions and maintain momentum.
Tip: Such productivity hacks work even better when combined with supplements that boost your focus!
Elon Musk prefers to keep his lunch quite minimal.
He prefers to eat during meetings or skip meals altogether, prioritizing efficiency. When he does eat, it’s usually something quick and practical rather than indulgent.
Another interesting part of his eating “routine” is the fact that he periodically fasts, something that – as he stated – has been beneficial for his health.
On advice of a good friend, I’ve been fasting periodically & feel healthier
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 28, 2022
The founder of Tesla is famously known for his extreme work ethics, so a large – if not the largest – part of his daily work routine is dedicated to deep focus work.
Despite being a CEO, Musk spends much of his afternoons focused on technical problem-solving rather than administrative work. He prefers being directly involved with product design and engineering challenges
The slot of 7:00 to 8:00pm is usually reserved for business dinners and meetings with executives, partners, clients or even presidents if you like.
When not in meetings, Musk dedicates evenings to his children, aiming to balance his intense workload with family life. He has mentioned that time with his kids is a priority when possible.
Musk usually gets home around 10:00pm and gets back to work trying to juggle the multiple companies he’s involved in. He admittedly works around 100 hours per week, although he has tried to cut it down to about a “healthier” 80-90.
When it comes to his sleep schedule, he’s mentioned that he usually goes to bed around 3:00am due to heavy workload and tries to get about six hours of sleep before waking up around 9:00am.
He actually acknowledges that cutting rest below this threshold negatively impacts his productivity and decision-making. As he once stated:
Sleep is really great. I find if I don’t get enough sleep I’m quite grumpy… my mental acuity would be affected
So although Elon Musk hasn’t built a steady routine, he does have certain patterns that he follows.
Musk’s productivity playbook is often mythologized.
What is on record: he deliberately allocates days to companies to reduce context-switching, enforces ruthless meeting rules via internal emails, and prefers long, uninterrupted stretches for deep technical work.
So which productivity techniques does he actually use?
Before he decides what to do, Musk decides where his attention belongs.
In a recent interview he explained that:
My days are very long and complicated, as you might imagine, and there’s this great deal of context switching… Switching context is quite painful. But I do generally try to divide companies so it’s predominantly one company on one day, so today’s a Tesla day for example, although I might end up at Twitter late tonight…
As you can assume, time management for Elon Musk can be very very challenging, which is why a top-down time allocation allows him to batch related work and be able to focus on one company at a time.
Many articles claim Musk meticulously slices his day into 5-minute increments.
Early media coverage framed this as the secret to how he juggles multiple companies.
However, this is something Elon Musk has denied:
I definitely don’t do this 5 minute thing. Need to have long uninterrupted times to think. Can’t be creative otherwise.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 22, 2018
Nevertheless, if you’d like to give this technique a go, make sure to experiment with 5-minute blocks for “shallow” work (such as responding to emails). Then ring-fence 90–120 minutes for one demanding objective (e.g. an important presentation).
Pomodoro (25 minutes focused work + 5 minutes rest, with a longer break after four cycles) is a well-studied method for sustaining focus.
There’s no reliable evidence Musk personally uses Pomodoro, but it’s a general technique you can adapt to a Musk-style, high-intensity schedule.
For instance, combine his meeting rules (leave if you’re not adding value; keep sessions short) with Pomodoro pacing to prevent meetings from colonizing your day.
Elon Musk doesn’t have a specific meal routine that he follows, as he’s admitted to not being the healthiest eater.
However, some of the things that we know (mainly according to X) include that:
Although he reportedly fasts periodically and it has made him feel healthier.
When it comes to his weight, he once mentioned that he used Wegovy to lose some weight as well as several weight-loss supplements.
Elon Musk spends most of his free time with his children, often bringing them along on trips or factory visits.
To unwind, he enjoys watching anime (Death Note, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Spirited Away), reading science fiction, binging podcasts like Joe Rogan’s whom he’s good friends with, and occasionally playing video games.
His leisure activities are rare and usually serve as both relaxation and inspiration, reflecting his blend of family focus and intellectual curiosity
Elon Musk has said he typically works 80–100 hours per week, which averages to about 12–16 hours per day depending on the week (wow!).
He often divides his schedule by company – spending a full day at Tesla, SpaceX, or another venture – to reduce context switching.
Here are some books Elon Musk has publicly recommended, along with what he’s said about them and why they stand out:
