Elon Musk slams remote work culture, says people who want it think like pampered royalty

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the world's richest man, has again made headlines with his bold thoughts against the remote work culture. During Tesla's third-quarter financial results call, Musk made comments on work from home culture with a surprising historical reference, calling remote workers as pampered royalty who think like Marie Antoinette, the infamous French queen who once uttered, "let them eat cake."

Musk's comments took a critical tone as he stated that those advocating for widespread remote work are "detached from reality." He questioned the detachment of the remote work supporters, suggesting they take advantage of those who are unable to work from home, drawing parallels between their situation and that of factory workers, restaurant staff, and delivery personnel.

This critique marks a dramatic shift in Musk's discussion, initially focusing on the affordability of Tesla's electric vehicles. After his comments on remote work, Musk returned to the pricing aspect, emphasizing the importance of cost in Tesla's operations.

"How detached from reality does the work-from-home crowd have to be? While they take advantage of those who cannot work from home. Why did I sleep in the factory so many times? Because it mattered," Musk said.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time Musk has expressed his disapproval for remote work. In May, he told CNBC that he found remote work to be "morally wrong" and compared it to Marie Antoinette's famous utterance.

Musk's push for in-office work may be rooted in his own workaholic tendencies, as highlighted in Walter Isaacson's biography of the Tesla CEO. His work ethic was further made clear when he acquired Twitter in the previous year, demanding that staff maintain 40-hour workweeks in the office. The company even converted some offices into bedrooms to accommodate the rigorous schedules imposed by Musk.

Despite Musk's critical stance on remote work, his financial success remains unparalleled. Bloomberg's Billionaire Index estimates his net worth at $226 billion, making him the world's richest individual. In the latest earnings call, Tesla reported third-quarter revenues of $23.35 billion, slightly below Wall Street expectations of $24.06 billion.

This controversy surrounding Musk's comments on remote work highlights the ongoing debate about the future of work and the potential return to in-person office settings in a post-pandemic world.