Elon Musk's Daily Routine

He calls himself fairly nocturnal. In late 2024 he posted that he usually sleeps from about 3 a.m. to about 9 a.m.; in 2022 he put his wake-up at 9 to 9:30, about six to six and a half hours after going to bed. ¹ "You can see that I usually sleep from ~3am to ~9am" (reply to @beffjezos) (2024) · Post text

"You can see that I usually sleep from ~3am to ~9am"

In 2022 he said he had a terrible habit of checking his phone the moment he woke up, to see what had happened overnight. He said he planned to switch to working out for at least 20 minutes first, then looking at his phone, even though he doesn't really like working out. ³ Elon Musk Reveals His Knowledge on Aliens, Challenges Putin to UFC, and Predicts WW3 (2022) · 1:17:15 to 1:18:08

He drinks coffee in the morning and rejected the popular advice to wait 90 minutes after waking. In the same thread he said he likes coffee for the ritual and the taste more than the buzz, and barely notices the stimulant effect unless he has several cups (2023). ⁴ "90 min wait for coffee is demented" (reply to @pmarca) (2023) · Post text, reply to @pmarca quoting caffeine-timing advice

"90 min wait for coffee is demented"

In 2024 he posted that steak and eggs with coffee in the morning felt like a power-up, and told Joe Rogan that year that he had switched to steak and eggs for breakfast. ⁶ "Wow, steak & eggs with coffee in the morning really feels like a powerup!" (2024) · Post text

"Wow, steak & eggs with coffee in the morning really feels like a powerup!"

Describing a typical stretch in September 2025, he listed deep technical reviews of chip design, a walk of a datacenter floor, and up to 12 hours of back-to-back meetings across Tesla departments. ⁷ "Daddy is very much home" (post describing his week) (2025) · Post text, final paragraph

"Then up to 12 hours of back to back meetings across all Tesla departments"

He said he used to move his desk around the factory to wherever the biggest problem was. As of 2023 he said he had no desk, and the room he used for meetings at Tesla headquarters overlooked the end of the Model Y production line. ⁸ "I would just move my desk around the factory to wherever the biggest problem was" (reply) (2023) · Post text

"I would just move my desk around the factory to wherever the biggest problem was."

In August 2023, while training for a proposed fight, he posted that he had no time to work out, so he brought weights to work and lifted throughout the day. He said he swung a 45-pound weight plate as a kettlebell workout. ⁹ "Am lifting weights throughout the day, preparing for the fight" (2023) · Post text

"Don't have time to work out, so I just bring them to work."

In 2020 he said that, to be frank, he would not exercise at all if he could. When he does, he lifts some weights and runs on a treadmill, ideally while watching a show that pulls him in. ¹¹ Joe Rogan Experience #1470 - Elon Musk (2020) · 1:45:56 to 1:46:53

In August 2022 he posted that, on a friend's advice, he had been fasting periodically and felt healthier, and that he found the Zero fasting app quite good. In later years he has also posted about eating breakfast, so treat this as his 2022 practice. ¹² "On advice of a good friend, I've been fasting periodically & feel healthier" (2022) · Post text

"On advice of a good friend, I've been fasting periodically & feel healthier"

In 2022 he said a good friend suggested that if a post might not be wise, he should save it in his drafts folder and decide the next morning. He said there were a few in his drafts he chose not to send. ³ Elon Musk Reveals His Knowledge on Aliens, Challenges Putin to UFC, and Predicts WW3 (2022) · 2:11:34 to 2:11:53

In 2021 he said he normally works until one or two in the morning on weeknights, usually not on weekends but sometimes. His later posts put his bedtime closer to 3 a.m. (2024). ¹⁴ Joe Rogan Experience #1609 - Elon Musk (2021) · 6:43 to 6:55

He calls video games his main way to relax. He says a tough game gets him into a flow state and that killing the demons in a game calms the demons in his mind (2023). In that conversation he talks mostly about Diablo IV. ¹⁵ Elon Musk: War, AI, Aliens, Politics, Physics, Video Games, and Humanity (#400), transcript (2023) · 1:00:03 (chapter: Diablo 4 and video games)

"It calms my mind. I mean, killing the demons in a video game calms the demons in my mind."

In 2024 he said that playing a very hard game, such as chasing a fast clear time in Diablo, tells him when he is tired or his brain isn't working as well as it should. He compared it to a mental calibration or stress test. ¹⁶ Joe Rogan Experience #2223 - Elon Musk (2024) · 6:12 to 7:16

He recommends not eating for three hours before bedtime to sleep better (2022). He did not say in the post whether he keeps to it himself. ¹⁷ "For improved quality of sleep, raise head of your bed by about 3" or 5cm and don't eat 3 hours before bedtime" (2022) · Post text

"For improved quality of sleep, raise head of your bed by about 3” or 5cm and don’t eat 3 hours before bedtime"

He recommends tilting the whole bed slightly toward your feet by putting books under the head end of the frame, about 3 inches or 5 cm, saying it helps digestion and reduces acid backflow (2022 and 2026). He has not said whether he sleeps this way himself. ¹⁸ "Just pile some books under the head-end section of the bedframe" (reply) (2026) · Post text, reply to @anabology

"Just pile some books under the head-end section of the bedframe."

He sleeps about six hours. In 2021 he said he had tried sleeping less but his total productivity dropped, and in 2025 he posted that he needs six hours for mental sharpness. ² "I need 6 hours of sleep for mental acuity" (reply) (2025) · Post text

"I need 6 hours of sleep for mental acuity."

In July 2025 he posted that he was back to working seven days a week and sleeping in the office when his young children were away. ¹⁹ "Back to working 7 days a week and sleeping in the office if my little kids are away" (2025) · Post text

"Back to working 7 days a week and sleeping in the office if my little kids are away"

As of November 2025 he said he met with Tesla's chip design team every Tuesday and Saturday, and that the Saturday sessions were temporary until the chip was finished. ²⁰ "I'm deeply involved in the chip design and meet with the engineering team every Tuesday and Saturday" (2025) · Post text

"meet with the engineering team every Tuesday and Saturday"