‘Toughen up’: Indian-origin billionaire backs Murthy’s 70-hr work week advice

 

 

 

 

 

INDIAN-AMERICAN businessman and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, Vinod Khosla has backed Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy’s suggestion that India’s youth must work 70 hours every week to improve the country’s overall work productivity. Khosla said those who felt “attacked” by Murthy’s opinion needed mental health therapy. “For people who ‘felt attacked’ by this they need mental health therapy. They should learn to ‘toughen up’ and not feel attacked. OK to not work 70 hrs/wk and live with the consequences of the choices you make. He is speaking to ‘career ambitious’ young people but there are other ways to live with different choices,” his post read. The 68-year-old billionaire had said that he works 80-hour weeks, and that the “grind doesn’t appear to stop anytime soon”.

 

“Not working 70 hrs/wk may not get you the biggest house or car to show to your neighbors, but you can make that choice. Lots of other things make people happy. Be internally driven and not externally driven by what others expect of success: bigger titles, bigger house don’t make everyone happy,” the Silicon Valley veteran said. In a recent episode of the “The Cerebral Valley Podcast”, Khosla said he plans on investing for the next 25 years if his health permits. “I have this saying ‘You grow old when you retire, you don’t retire when you grow old,’” the investor continued. “I’ve seen too many people retire and grow old.”