Elon Musk's rise has long been fuelled by relentless ambition — but in 2025 that ambition seems to be pushing his top talent over the edge. Across Tesla, xAI, X and beyond, a wave of high-profile departures is rippling through his companies, driven by burnout, fierce culture and political backlash. As his personal fortune climbs to £326 billion ($500 billion), critics wonder: is his management style a force for innovation or a recipe for widespread collapse?
Musk's companies demand total devotion, with employees often logging 120-hour weeks under a 24/7 campaign-style ethos dubbed 'Tesla time'. This intensity, while credited for breakthroughs like SpaceX's Starship launches, erodes morale and sparks burnout, leading to a revolving door at the top.
