Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, and head of the social media platform X, has made a bold declaration that has sent shockwaves through the tech world: he is returning to a 24/7 work schedule and will be sleeping in conference, server, and factory rooms to address the mounting challenges facing his companies. The announcement, made on May 25, 2025, via a post on X, comes in the wake of a series of outages that have plagued the platform, culminating in a major disruption on May 24 that affected tens of thousands of users worldwide. As Musk shifts his focus away from political endeavors and back to his business empire, his drastic measures signal a critical moment for X, Tesla, and xAI, raising questions about leadership, operational stability, and the toll of his relentless work ethic.

The outages at X, which began on May 23 and peaked on May 24, 2025, marked a low point for the platform formerly known as Twitter. According to Downdetector, a leading outage-tracking website, X experienced over 25,800 reported issues at 8:51 AM ET on Saturday, May 24, with users across the globe unable to access the application or website. Reports suggested that a fire in an Oregon data center owned by X may have contributed to the disruption, though Musk later acknowledged a deeper issue: the platform’s failover redundancy systems, meant to ensure uptime during such incidents, failed to function as expected. “As evidenced by the uptime issues this week, major operational improvements need to be made,” Musk wrote in response to a user on X, before adding, “Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms.”

This isn’t the first time Musk has resorted to such extreme measures. Known for his grueling work ethic, Musk has a history of sleeping on factory floors during critical production periods, such as Tesla’s Model 3 ramp-up in 2018, when he reportedly worked 120-hour weeks and slept at the Fremont factory. His return to this hands-on approach underscores the severity of X’s challenges since his 2022 takeover, which saw him cut nearly 80% of the company’s staff and implement sweeping changes that destabilized operations. The recent outages, which follow a pattern of technical issues, have drawn criticism from users and investors alike, with many questioning whether Musk’s divided attention—split between X, Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, and his political role—has contributed to the platform’s struggles.

Musk’s political involvement has been a significant factor in his recent absence from day-to-day operations at his companies. Since January 2025, he has served as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk’s role in the administration, which included pushing for $160 billion in federal budget cuts and influencing policy, earned him both praise and backlash. His political activities, however, took a toll on his businesses, particularly Tesla, which reported a 71% profit drop in 2024 amid protests against Musk’s right-wing affiliations and competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers. Consumers in the U.S. and Europe boycotted Tesla, with some owners selling their cars or affixing bumper stickers reading, “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy,” as a response to his political stances.

The strain on Musk’s companies wasn’t limited to Tesla. At xAI, his artificial intelligence venture, the Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, has faced scrutiny for becoming one of the county’s biggest air polluters since its launch in 2024, prompting community backlash and a scheduled hearing on environmental concerns. Meanwhile, X’s outages highlighted operational vulnerabilities, with Musk admitting that the platform’s infrastructure needed significant improvements. His decision to step back from DOGE, announced in April 2025, was seen as a necessary move to refocus on his companies, a sentiment Trump reinforced, stating, “We have to, at some point, let him go and do that.” Musk’s May 25 post, however, marks a definitive shift, with the billionaire pledging to limit his government work to one or two days a week and dedicate himself fully to X, Tesla, xAI, and an upcoming SpaceX Starship launch scheduled for early June 2025.

The announcement has elicited a mix of reactions from fans, investors, and industry observers. On X, users expressed both admiration and concern for Musk’s work ethic. Some praised his dedication, with one user noting, “Elon’s sleeping in the server rooms to fix X. That’s the kind of leadership we need.” Others, however, worried about the sustainability of his approach, pointing to the physical and mental toll of such a schedule. “Elon is going all-in, but at what cost?” another user wrote, reflecting a sentiment echoed by health experts who have long cautioned against Musk’s sleep-deprived lifestyle. In 2018, Musk admitted to working up to 120 hours a week, a pace that led to visible exhaustion and public concern, yet he has repeatedly returned to this pattern during crises.

Investors, meanwhile, are watching closely to see if Musk’s renewed focus can stabilize his empire. Tesla’s recent sales slump, attributed in part to Musk’s political distractions, has raised alarms, with the company reporting its first annual drop in deliveries in 2024. At the Qatar Economic Forum earlier this month, Musk committed to remaining Tesla’s CEO for the next five years, a promise he reiterated in his latest statement by emphasizing the need to be “super focused” on critical technologies rolling out at Tesla and xAI. These technologies include advancements in autonomous driving for Tesla and the delayed Grok 3.5 update for xAI, which Musk promised to paid subscribers last month but has yet to deliver.

For X, Musk’s hands-on approach could be a turning point. The platform, which he acquired for $44 billion in 2022, has struggled with technical reliability and user dissatisfaction since his takeover. The recent outages, which saw global reports spike to 2,212 at 6:20 PM IST on May 24, underscored the need for operational improvements. Musk’s decision to merge X with xAI, leveraging the AI company’s capabilities to enhance the platform’s features, has also faced challenges, with the outages highlighting the risks of such integration. By sleeping in server rooms, Musk aims to tackle these issues head-on, a move that echoes his past efforts to oversee production at Tesla and SpaceX during critical junctures.

Critically, however, Musk’s approach raises questions about leadership sustainability and the systemic issues at X. The drastic staff cuts following his takeover left the platform with a skeleton crew, a decision that likely contributed to its operational fragility. While Musk’s presence may address immediate technical failures, it doesn’t resolve the underlying need for a robust team and long-term strategy—areas where his focus has been inconsistent due to his political engagements. Moreover, his history of overpromising and underdelivering, such as the delayed Grok 3.5 update, suggests that his 24/7 commitment, while admirable, may not fully address the structural challenges facing his companies.

The broader implications of Musk’s announcement extend beyond X and Tesla. At SpaceX, the upcoming Starship launch, a critical step in Musk’s vision to colonize Mars, adds pressure to his already packed schedule. At xAI, the Colossus supercomputer’s environmental controversy in Memphis remains unresolved, with activists calling for stricter regulations. Musk’s decision to sleep in factory rooms, while symbolic of his dedication, also highlights the personal cost of his leadership style—a cost that has historically led to burnout and public gaffes, such as his 2018 tweet about taking Tesla private, which resulted in an SEC lawsuit.

As of 11:21 AM on May 28, 2025, Musk’s pledge has already begun to show early signs of impact. X’s services have been largely restored since the May 24 outage, and Tesla’s stock saw a modest uptick following his announcement, suggesting investor confidence in his renewed focus. Yet, the road ahead remains uncertain. Musk’s empire, spanning electric vehicles, space exploration, AI, and social media, is at a crossroads, with each venture facing unique challenges that require more than just his physical presence. Whether his 24/7 grind will lead to lasting improvements or further strain remains to be seen, but for now, Elon Musk is once again betting on himself to turn the tide—factory room by factory room.