Melinda French Gates believes it's "so dumb" to try and maximize productivity by getting only a few hours of sleep. The billionaire phi

Melinda French Gates says CEOs who cut sleep to maximize productivity are 'so dumb': 'Some of us didn't want to be around them'

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2024-09-19 14:30:15

Melinda French Gates believes it's "so dumb" to try and maximize productivity by getting only a few hours of sleep.

The billionaire philanthropist, who who recently announced that she's sponsoring a $12.5 billion grant toward women's rights, told Vanity Fair last week that she aims to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. And she shared a negative view of the executives she's encountered who boast about sleeping only a few hours each night.

"Some of us didn't want to be around them! Let's be honest!" French Gates said, referencing CEOs and tech entrepreneurs who promote, in her eyes, a form of performative sleep deprivation.

Notable business leaders who've discussed their scant sleep habits include former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, who said in 2018 that she typically worked until midnight and woke up at 4 a.m. Former U.S. president Donald Trump and ex-Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer have also talked about only needing to sleep four hours, or less, at night.

Elon Musk, currently the world's richest person, was once among them — bragging about pulling all-nighters and sleeping under his desk as his electric vehicle company Tesla tried to meet its production goals. He's since changed his tune, and now aims for at least six hours of sleep per night, he told CNBC last year.