‘This is not a flex’: Elon Musk’s xAI engineer says he works 19-hour shift, faces backlash

xAI engineer’s 19-hour workday sparks debate over hustle culture

Work-life balance has become a key topic in today’s workplace, especially in fast-moving industries such as tech. Many professionals speak openly about long hours and intense work schedules, but a basic question often follows: how much work is too much?

That question has resurfaced online after a post by an engineer at xAI went viral. The employee shared that he had completed a 19-hour workday and said the experience made him feel energised. The message, posted on X (formerly Twitter), quickly sparked debate, with some praising the dedication while others criticised it as an example of unhealthy hustle culture.

The discussion began when Giri Kuncoro, a software engineer at the artificial intelligence firm founded by Elon Musk, shared details about his long workday. Kuncoro works on cloud-native infrastructure that supports artificial intelligence workloads and has previously worked at TikTok.

In his post, he described finishing a long stretch of work early in the morning and expressed excitement about the experience. “It's 5:30 am. Just closed my laptop after 19 hours of work today, my longest at xAI so far. I've never felt more alive,” he wrote on X.

The message quickly spread online and triggered strong reactions. Some users questioned whether such long working hours should be celebrated.

One user suggested that maintaining a balanced routine could actually lead to better productivity. “This is not a flex, 8 hours of sleep and working out daily will make you more productive than this slop,” a user said while another added, “Not the smartest flex, but you do you.”

Others raised concerns about the possible long-term impact of such intense work schedules. Another commented, “Until you burn out and require years of your life to rebuild your mental capacity and immune system.”

However, not all responses were critical. Some people praised the engineer and the work being done in the field of artificial intelligence. Another added, “You're doing work that will save civilisation. If you feel overwhelmed or start to feel burnout, just know the team at xAI are real life superheroes.”

The mixed responses highlight a broader debate around what is often called ‘hustle culture’. The term is commonly used to describe a mindset that celebrates extremely long working hours and constant productivity as a sign of ambition and success.

It’s 5:30 am. Just closed my laptop after 19 hours of work today—my longest at @xAI so far I’ve never felt more alive

— Giri Kuncoro (@girikuncoro) March 5, 2026

The viral post also renewed attention on comments previously made by Musk about long working hours. Musk leads several companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, and he has often spoken publicly about intense work schedules during critical phases at his companies.

Back in July 2025, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “Back to working 7 days a week and sleeping in the office if my little kids are away.” Alongside the post, Musk shared a clip from a 2018 interview with journalist Leslie Stahl on the television programme 60 Minutes, broadcast on CBS. In the interview, Musk described the demanding schedule he followed during a challenging period at Tesla.

The clip begins with the interviewer referring to the long hours Musk was reported to have worked. The interviewer asked, “22 hours a day. I wonder how many hours a week?”

Musk then explained how closely he was involved in the manufacturing process during that time. He said, “I mean, seven days a week, sleeping in the factory. I worked in the paint shop, assembly line, and body shop.”

During the interview, Elon Musk also reflected on whether such a work schedule was healthy or sustainable. He explained, “No one should put this many hours into work. This is not good. People should not work this hard.”