Billionaire Elon Musk has joined a similar suit of business leaders who support long working hours.

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In a post shared on his social media platform X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has said that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees work 120 hours a week. Musk is leading the department, which is aimed at cutting federal spending.

Musk’s remarks imply that DOGE employees work at least 17 hours every day in a week, sparking a debate on work-life balance.

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“DOGE is working 120 hour a week. Our bureaucratic opponents optimistically work 40 hours a week. That is why they are losing so fast,” Musk posted on X, replying to a post attacking Democrats.

Internet divided over Musk's opinion on working hours

Several people commented on the post about the reported unrealistic working hours of DOGE employees.

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“While working for fed gov, I learned that it's illegal to work unauthorized overtime. Doing so obligates the government to pay, because slavery is illegal,” a user wrote raising questions about the legality of the long working hours. “So how are federal staff in DOGE legally putting in these hours? Multiple shifts?”

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“Elon Musk has no actual authority to be able to access every American's private financial and personal information. I doubt MAGAs know or understand the impact of what you are doing,” another commented on the billionaire’s post.

A user who found it “hard to believe", wrote, “You have, 5.46 hrs remaining daily to drive home to office, to take a bath, to eat and to sleep, to take care of your family.” He asked, “Do you think someone can spend that time to work for at least 6 months?” A user replied to this by saying, “You have obviously never worked in surgery. I routinely worked 100-120 a week. Did it at one job for 10 years. It’s why I’ve been working optional since my late 40s.”

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Another criticised Musk’s remarks saying, “120-hour weeks? That's not a flex, it's a red flag. Overworked devs make mistakes. Quality > quantity in crypto. DOGE might be digging its own grave.”

(With inputs from agencies)