Elon Musk disses "work-from-home bulls**t": "Get off the goddamn moral high horse"
Austin, Texas - Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made his feelings known about working from home, which he believes is "morally wrong."
Musk held nothing back in a new interview with CNBC, and had no sympathy for employees working from home rather than returning to offices.
"I think that the whole notion of work from home is a bit like the fake Marie Antoinette quote, 'Let them eat cake,'" Musk said.
"It's a productivity issue but it's also a moral issue. People should get off the goddamn moral high horse with their work-from-home bulls**t," Musk said. "Because they're asking everyone else to not work from home while they do. It's wrong."
He referred to remote workers as "the laptop clas is living in la-la-land," while many essentially workers must work in-person.
"It’s not just a productivity thing," he added. "I think it’s morally wrong."
Employees of many tech companies have been expected to return to Silicon Valley offices after most transitioned to remote work during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Musk has been one of the most prominent voices representing companies and bosses who are fighting back against remote work, sending a scathing email to his Telsa employees last June requiring a "minimum of 40 hours in the office per week."
Since acquiring Twitter last year, he has overseen more than half of the company's global workforce laid off.
Musk also said he works seven days a week himself, and only takes off about two or three days a year.
Elon Musk dismisses work from home and says he can say what he wants
Musk reiterated his point in the interview, which aired on Tuesday after his meeting with Tesla shareholders.
"I am a big believer that people are more productive when they are in person," the 51-year-old said.
He then gave specific examples: "Really, you’re gonna work from home? And you’re gonna make everyone else who made your car come work at the factory?"
"The people who make your food that gets delivered, they can’t work from home. The people who fix your house, they can’t work from home, but you can? Does that seem morally right? It’s messed up."
Musk also noted in the interview he has the right to say, or tweet, whatever he wants – offensive or not.
"I'll say what I want to say," Musk said. "And if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it."
Cover photo: Chandan KHANNA/AFP