Investor Kevin O'Leary Once Said You Had To Work 25 Hours A Day To Succeed. Now He Calls Young Founders Working 18 Hours A Day Stupid And A Liability
- - Investor Kevin O'Leary Once Said You Had To Work 25 Hours A Day To Succeed. Now He Calls Young Founders Working 18 Hours A Day Stupid And A Liability
Adrian VolenikFebruary 2, 2026 at 3:32 AM
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Investor and “Shark Tank” personality Kevin O'Leary is no stranger to pushing hustle culture. Back in 2024, he posted on X, “If you want to succeed in business you have to work 25hrs a day because there's someone across the world who will kick your a*s if you don't.”
A Shift In Tone?
He also said in a 2024 video that young entrepreneurs chasing work-life balance were misguided. “There is none,” he said. “I’m just telling you the truth. You’re competing with somebody in Mumbai or Shanghai or somewhere else, and they’re willing to work 24 hours a day, eight days a week. And if you’re not willing to do that, they’re going to kick your a*s.”
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But O’Leary’s message has shifted dramatically. In a recent post on X, he wrote, “Young founders love to brag about working 18 hours a day. That's stupid. You need sleep, good food, and exercise if you want to make good decisions.”
Young founders love to brag about working 18 hours a day. That's stupid. You need sleep, good food, and exercise if you want to make good decisions.If you show up looking half-dead, I'm not investing. You're not a hero, you're a liability. pic.twitter.com/CZZpLOQzRX
— Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) January 29, 2026
In an accompanying video, he doubled down. “The worst advice I hear young founders talk about all the time is they want to work 18 hours a day,” he said. “How stupid is that? You’ve got to get some sleep. You have to eat well and you’ve got to stay focused. That’s how you’re successful.”
He added that major decisions should be made in the morning when you’re well-rested. “There’s lots of evidence that you should make the major decisions right after you wake up when you have the maximum energy and your mind is clear,” he said in the video.
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O'Leary now sees overworked entrepreneurs as bad bets. “When I see somebody that looks like they’re dead and I’m going to meet this business startup, I don’t invest. That guy’s an idiot or a woman. Same thing. You’ve got to sleep.”
It's unclear whether that line was a slip or an intentional joke, but it landed poorly.
This shift reflects a broader conversation in the startup world about the limits of nonstop hustle. More investors are now focusing on sustainability, mental clarity and long-term performance.
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