Melinda Gates Slams CEOs Who Skip Sleep for Work, Says Doesn't Want to Be Around Them

Texas: Melinda French Gates has spoken out against top CEOs who boast about sleeping fewer hours to dedicate more time to work, labelling such behavior as “so dumb.” In an interview with Vanity Fair, philanthropist did t hold back in her criticism of se workaholic leers who claim to get by on just three or four hours of sleep. Expressing her frustration, she said, “Some of us didn’t want to be around m! Let’s be honest!” French also emphasized that she prioritizes getting eugh rest, aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

Her comments come at a time when conversation around work-life balance and health is becoming more central, especially for high-powered executives. belief that more work requires less sleep has long been part of corporate culture among certain leers. However, Gates’ remarks challenge this outdated mindset, pushing for a more balanced approach to both leership and personal health.

Her ex-husband, Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft, shared a similar story about his early days as an entrepreneur. Like many in tech industry, he was influenced by ors who bragged about needing very little sleep. Gates mitted that he once bought into idea that "sleep is laziness and unnecessary." Recalling those days, he h n said, "I would be like, ‘I only sleep six hours,’ and or guy says, ‘I only sleep five!’ and ‘Well, sometimes I don’t sleep at all.’ I’d be like, ‘Wow, those guys are so good. I need to try harder.’"

But Gates’ perspective changed drastically when his far was diagsed with Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown a strong link between poor sleep and development of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. Reflecting on this, Gates said, "One of strongest things to emerge in ( Alzheimer’s) area is importance of good sleep. It’s one of most predictive factors of any dementia." w, he makes it a point to get at least seven hours of sleep every night, recognising critical role it plays in maintaining long-term health.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, has also been vocal about his past extreme work habits, which often involved pulling all-nighters and even sleeping under his desk to meet delines. Musk’s relentless work schedule, particularly during Tesla’s production crunch, became almost legendary. However, even Musk has realized toll it can take. Last year, he revealed that he has since shifted his priorities, w aiming to get at least six hours of sleep a night.