In a recent interview with CNBC Make It, the 30-year-old entrepreneur emphasized that long working hours do not prevent her from enjoying personal time. “9 a.m. to 9 p.m., to me that’s still work-life balance,” she explained. “At 9 p.m., you can go to dinner with your friends. You can invite them to a potluck. You don’t need to sleep from nine to nine. That’s a ridiculous amount of sleep.”
“If anyone thinks that’s not work-life balance, I don’t know what to say because you literally have 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. to hang out with your friends, and then you sleep from 2 a.m. to nine,” she added, noting that seven hours of sleep works out to be “more than enough.”
Guo’s routine often extends beyond the typical workday. She mentioned working until midnight, then going out with friends until 2 a.m. before waking up early the next day to work out. “My genetics mean that I don’t need to sleep that much. Thank you, Mom and Dad,” she shared with Metro.
However, she admitted that she does take one day off on the weekends. She reserves part of her weekend, from noon to 6 p.m., to socialize before returning to work.
Lucy Guo, world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire and founder of AI data labeling firm Scale AI. Photo courtesy of Guo’s Instagram
The young founder embodies the Silicon Valley mantra of working around the clock, similar to China’s notorious 996 work culture. The “996” schedule, requiring 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. shifts six days a week, has faced criticism for its impact on worker wellbeing, with protests and accusations of “modern slavery,” according to the Wired. This phenomenon has since spread to Silicon Valley, where many AI startups have adopted the demanding routine.
Guo co-founded Scale AI with world’s youngest self-made billionaire Alexandr Wang, which reached a $25 billion valuation in April. With a 5% stake, her net worth soared to $1.3 billion, making her the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire.
She attributes the success of tech companies to the sacrifices made by their founders. “In general, when you’re first starting your company, it’s near impossible to do it without doing that [996], like you’re going to need to work like 90-hour work weeks to get things off the ground,” she explained.
However, Guo also acknowledged that for those aiming for wealth without the grueling schedule, investing may be a viable alternative. “If you opt to start a tech company, you’re gonna be working those hours in the beginning.”