Elon Musk, who is at the helm of companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), has a unique secret to managing the chaos of his daily life: video games. Yes, you read that correctly - the world's richest man finds comfort, stress relief, and even inspiration in gaming.
In a recent podcast interview with Lex Fridman (via Fortune), Musk unveiled his gaming habit, shedding light on how it helps him conquer his personal demons and boost productivity. "It calms my mind," he admitted. "Killing the demons in a video game calms the demons in my mind."
He went on to reveal that he is no casual gamer. "I've played a lot of video games because it's my primary recreational activity," Musk explained. So, which games does this tech tycoon turn to when he needs to unwind?
BLETCHLEY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 1: Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk attends the first plenary session on Day 1 of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park on November 1, 2023 in Bletchley, England.
Elon Musk's Gaming Selection
Musk's gaming portfolio includes a couple of standout titles. One of his favorites is "The Battle of Polytopia," a strategy game centered around building a civilization, resource control, and empire-building.
Musk's brother Kimbal revealed that Elon saw the game as a path to becoming a successful CEO. It is more than just gameplay; Musk and his circle have derived valuable life lessons from titles like "Polytopia," including the importance of not fearing loss and picking battles wisely.
Another notable title in Musk's gaming arsenal is "Elden Ring," a game focused on war and empire-building, which he hails as a "candidate for the best game ever." Musk praises the creativity and stunning art in the game, even likening it to the hardest boss battle in life: "Beating hatred in the internal realm."
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Gaming and Business Moves
What sets Musk's gaming habit apart is its impact on his professional life. Musk admits that he made the decision to acquire Twitter after an all-night gaming session with "Elden Ring." It is a striking testament to how gaming, for Musk, transcends mere recreation.
"If you play a tough video game, you can get into a state of flow which is very enjoyable. Admittedly it needs to be not too easy, not too hard-kind of in the Goldilocks zone," Musk explained.
"I guess you generally want to feel like you're progressing in the game. And there's also beautiful art, engaging storylines, and it's like an amazing puzzle to solve."
Musk's Passion for Gaming
This report from Benzinga tells us that Musk's passion extends beyond personal use - even his partner, Grimes, was roped into the world of "Polytopia." Yet, this gaming intensity sometimes leads to unexpected consequences, as seen in a heated argument between Musk and Grimes after a surprise attack in the game. For Musk, it was "a huge deal."
Last month, Elon Musk tested X's ability to livestream games. The billionaire made a new X account called @cyb3rgam3r420 and streamed Diablo IV for nearly an hour.
During that time, the stream had a maximum concurrent audience of 1,300 viewers and a total of 20,000 views.
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