We would like to open the news article with a warning. It’s a routine that most health professionals say ‘no’ to. The article isn’t a recommendation but only news coverage. Lucy Guo is a self-made entrepreneur. She rose to fame after becoming the youngest self-made female billionaire ($1.3 billion net worth), just behind Taylor Swift ($1.6 billion net worth). It’s not uncommon for people to be curious about the daily routines of famous individuals.
And just like that, Lucy Guo gave a long 90-hour workweek, especially for startup founders. Talking to CNBC, she said that most people waste time on “Scrolling or watching TV.” But ‘what’s wrong with relaxing?’ say mental health campaigners. Well, do you need that big workweek to be successful in tech? Learn more.
Who Is Lucy Guo?
- Lucy Guo is the youngest self-made female billionaire (30 years old) who co-founded ScaleAI in 2016.
- After a massive cash push from Meta, Lucy Guo’s net worth surged to $1.3 billion, just next to the famous pop star Taylor Swift.
- According to The Hindu, Meta invested around $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI in June 2025.
- Although she left the company in 2018, she has her equity stakes. Apparently, she has been the CEO of Passes since 2022.
Lucy Guo’s Lifestyle and Routine
Well, Lucy Guo is known for her dedication not just to her business, but also to her lifestyle. Here’s what her 90-hour workweek looks like:
- 5:30 am: She typically wakes up at 5:30 am.
- Intense Workouts: She goes for a workout at Barry’s Bootcamp, which is a high-intensity fitness program.
- No lunch: She basically skips her lunch because she doesn’t like an interruption in her work.
- Work until midnight: She works until midnight again, that fall, on most of her days.
- Socialising until 2 am: Following her work, she likes to socialize till 2 am.
- Minimal sleep: And back to waking up at 5:30 am, let’s say she gets about 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep.
What Does Science Say About Lucy Guo’s Routine?
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (an official website of the United States Government), if you don’t sleep for 7 hours, you’ll fall victim to:
- Obesity
- Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance
- Cardiovascular disease and hypertension
- Anxiety symptoms
- Depressed mood
According to her, she is being more productive than her peers, spending more time awake and working. But the studies clearly say otherwise.
Lucy Guo’s Startup Work Philosophy
- Lucy feels that the early stages of a company do require extreme effort (but still following the same schedule of over 12 hours every day is questionable to many).
- Her work ethic aligns with the “996” work culture in China, which involves working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week.
She said, “When you’re first starting your company, it’s near impossible to do it without doing that.”
However, the mental health campaigners and experienced entrepreneurs caution people about burnout, exhaustion, and unsustainable work habits. What do you think?
Leave a Reply