Elon Musk Says Only 1% of Government Workers Actually Work 40 Hours a Week — Aside From Security Guards or Maintenance Crews
Fri, July 31, 2026 at 1:30 AM GMT+3 6 min read
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Sometimes the sharpest criticism isn't a lengthy speech or a policy proposal. Sometimes it's a two-sentence reply that reframes the entire conversation.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk did exactly that in December 2024 after responding a report by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) that found that just 6% of federal employees worked in person on a full-time basis. Musk argued the number was still too high.
The 6% Figure Became 1%
"If you exclude security guards & maintenance personnel, the number of government workers who show up in person and do 40 hours of work a week is closer to 1%!" Musk wrote on X. "Almost no one."
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The post was a direct response to reporting on Ernst's probe, which examined federal office occupancy and the continued use of remote work across government agencies.
Musk doubled down moments later.
"Literally thousands of empty buildings, not just in America, but around the world, paid for with your tax dollars!" he added.
The comments reflected Musk's belief that office buildings funded by taxpayers were sitting largely unused while many federal employees continued working remotely. His 1% estimate was his own assessment after excluding workers whose jobs require them to be physically present, such as security guards and maintenance personnel.
At the time, Musk had been tapped by then President-elect Donald Trump to help lead the planned Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory initiative focused on identifying ways to reduce federal spending and bureaucracy. His comments came as return-to-office policies and government efficiency were becoming increasingly prominent topics ahead of the incoming administration.
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A Philosophy He's Repeated for Years
The remarks also echoed something Musk said long before becoming involved with the government efficiency initiative.
"There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week," Musk posted on social media in 2018.
Whether building electric vehicles, reusable rockets or artificial intelligence companies, Musk has consistently argued that exceptional results require exceptional effort. His criticism of the federal workforce followed that same philosophy—that meaningful progress rarely comes from doing the minimum.
What That Means for Investors
Musk's approach isn't just about long hours. It's about backing people who are intensely focused on building something that doesn't yet exist.
That same philosophy can be seen in the startup world, where founders often spend years developing products before they ever become household names. Rather than trying to build those businesses themselves, some investors choose to back the entrepreneurs doing the work.
One example is Mode Mobile, the company behind the EarnPhone, which has opened a Regulation A+ offering that allows retail investors to purchase equity in the business. Like any early-stage investment, it carries meaningful risk and isn't appropriate for every portfolio, but it offers investors an opportunity to own a stake in an emerging company before it reaches a broader market.
Agree with Musk's math or not, the message behind it is vintage him — go all in or get out of the way. It's the same bet early-stage investors make every day, putting money behind founders grinding in obscurity long before the rest of the world notices.
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This article Elon Musk Says Only 1% of Government Workers Actually Work 40 Hours a Week — Aside From Security Guards or Maintenance Crews originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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