Musk Is a Gamer — What His ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ Motto Can Teach Entrepreneurs
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla, founder and CEO of SpaceX, owner, chief technology officer (CTO) and executive chairman of X, in addition to holding senior positions at many other companies. He’s also a gamer and (according to him) he’s really good. Musk claims to be one of the top “Diablo 4” players.
“So many life lessons to be learned from speed-running video games on max difficulty. Teaches you to see the matrix, rather than simply exist in the matrix. Diablo Tier 150 finished in under 2 mins,” he posted on X.
Does gaming make someone a better businessperson? GOBankingRates reached out to business experts to ask what video games can teach entrepreneurs.
Strategic Focus
Chris Smith, founder of Man Cave Geek, underscored that gamers look at problems as opportunities to unlock new solutions, which can be incredibly beneficial to running a business.
“It allows you to put systems in place and view business requirements as part of the ‘game’ that needs to be solved,” Smith said. “For example, a business owner with a gaming background is used to putting the time in upfront to establish the systems and requirements that will make the game (or — in this case — the business), easier to ‘run’ in the long-term.”
Ethan King, founder of multiple companies including SimpleSuccess.ai and Zeus’ Closet, said he looks at challenges as “leveling up,” agreeing with Smith.
“Every game introduces new challenges that force you to adapt and improve,” he explained. “Entrepreneurship is a constant process of learning and growth.”
King specifically cited the rise of AI as something he viewed as an opportunity to grow, rather than something to fear.
“When I wrote ‘ChatGPT to Double Your Business in 90 Days,’ I knew AI was evolving rapidly. Instead of seeing this as a hurdle, I treated it like a new game level — learning, iterating and updating my strategies to stay ahead,” he added.
Pattern Recognition
King is passionate about gaming and said pattern recognition skills helped him create his businesses.
“In video games, success depends on recognizing patterns — enemy movements, resource allocations or game mechanics,” he explained. “Entrepreneurs must do the same, whether analyzing market trends, customer behaviors or competitor strategies. For example, when scaling my custom apparel business Zeus’ Closet, I studied buying patterns to optimize product offerings and marketing efforts.”
Persistence and Resilience
“No gamer beats the final boss on their first try,” King explained. “You fail, you adjust and you try again. The same goes for business.”
King went on to talk about how he had products flop and marketing campaigns underperform, but his willingness to keep going is what ultimately made him successful.
The Power of Community and Collaboration
Though gamers might be physically alone when they play, they’re connecting to a whole world of other players. King said this ritual taught him a lot about the importance of working within a team.
“Multiplayer games teach teamwork, delegation and leveraging strengths,” he added. “Business isn’t a solo mission — it’s about building a strong team and network.”
King cites his involvement with Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) as just one example of how networking has advanced his career.
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