CONTROVERSIAL SpaceX boss Elon Musk has been told to chill out and “find time for his health”.
Sir Richard Branson offered some words of wisdom in the wake of the tech tycoon’s erratic public declarations, including confessing he took Ambien to help him sleep.
The Virgin Galactic founder was commenting on Mr Musk during a television interview on the race between both men and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos to launch the first commercial space flight.
CNBC’s Singapore-based anchor Nancy Hungerford asked him today: “When it comes to Elon Musk he obviously has his hands full. He’s come under [fire from] both the regulatory side and the media. What advice would you give him?”
Sir Richard replied that Mr Musk needed to delegate more, adding: “You know, it’s important he’s got to find time for himself.
“He’s got to find time for his health and for his family. And you know he’s a wonderfully creative person. He shouldn’t be getting very little sleep.
“He should find a fantastic team of people around him and still jump in on all the major issues. And you know, I think the reason that I’ve had such an enjoyable life and a long life has been finding wonderful people to run our companies.
“I think that learning the art of delegation better would be his one flaw.”
Mr Musk has admitted having a tough year after he was blasted for labelling one of the brave helpers involved with the Thai cave rescue operation a “paedo” on Twitter – despite having no proof to back his allegation.
In August he got into trouble with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for declaring he had secured financing for a Tesla buyout.
As a result Tesla and Mr Musk – under a settlement – were told to pay a £15million ($20million) penalty. Mr Musk also had to resign as Tesla’s chairman.
He said recently: “This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career. It was excruciating.”
In an interview with the New York Times, the workaholic said he didn’t leave the Tesla factory for days at a time, and frequently clocked up 120-hour working weeks.
He also admitted taking pills to go to sleep – usually Ambien – telling the Times: “It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien”.
Mr Musk said his friends were “really concerned” about the toll on his personal health, particularly as his insatiable work ethic sees him regularly work 120-hour weeks.
“There were times when I didn’t leave the factory for three or four days – days when I didn’t even go outside,” he revealed.
“This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids, and seeing friends.”