Running a company is a stressful job, especially if you’re running one of the biggest firms in the world.
That high stress can lead to some intense and unconventional daily habits. Here are some of the most unusual routines of CEOs:
1. Early Bird Fitness Freak: Tim Cook and Richard Branson both rise around 5 a.m. Josh York, CEO of Gymguyz, kicks off his day at 3:29 a.m. with a rigorous 90-minute workout and a cold shower.
“It’s what makes me superhuman,” he told the outlet.
2. Dark Room Workouts: Disney’s CEO Bob Iger prefers working out in a dark room with the TV muted, finding it his most creative time. “It’s my most creative time in many ways,” Iger said.
3. Healthy Start: Mikael Berner, CEO of Edison Software, begins his day with a teaspoon of Icelandic cod liver oil and black coffee for health benefits. It’s meant to have benefits like promoting heart health and benefiting cells. Experts warn against taking more than one tablespoon daily to avoid consuming too much vitamin A.
4. Sweet Morning: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, starts his day with a sugary treat – a donut – despite warnings about sugar consumption. A post on X declared that sugar is poison. Musk replied: “I eat a donut every morning. Still alive.”
5.Calorie Load: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg consumes 4,000 calories daily to fuel his intense MMA and jiujitsu training, sometimes utilizing intermittent fasting.
6. Midday Power Nap: Robin Zeng, CEO of CATL, takes a nap at noon in his office to boost focus and combat fatigue. Some experts recommend short naps of between 20 and 30 minutes to improve focus and combat fatigue.
7. Meditation Marathon: Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block, dedicates two hours daily to meditation, walking five miles, and eating one meal to maintain wellness. Dorsey is a big proponent of mediation. For his birthday in 2018, he took part in a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat where he meditated for nearly 17 hours each day
8. Mindful Moments: Gwyneth Paltrow, CEO of Goop, practices “eyes-open” meditation to stay connected to herself amid daily life. “Once you learn how to do eyes-open meditation — something you can literally incorporate at any time — you can be engaged with the world but still very connected to yourself,” said previously told Business Insider. “I rely on it to feel more whole.”
9. Nighttime Relaxation: Steven Barlett, former CEO and podcast host, enjoys a massage at 11 p.m. for relaxation. “I often get massages in the evening — it sounds crazy, but usually my masseuse comes over at 11 p.m,” he told The Telegraph.
10. Early Shutdown: Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke prioritizes work-life balance, never working past 5:30 p.m. and emphasizing the importance of sleep. “The only times I worked more than 40 hours in a week was when I had the burning desire to do so. I need 8ish hours of sleep a night,” he said in a thread on Twitter, now X.
