LEAN IN:Elon Musk Says Attending the Birth of Your Child Is ‘No Excuse’ for Missing a Work Function

[Anonymous]

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
DAILY INTELLIGENCER: LEAN IN
May 11, 2015

Elon Musk Says Attending the Birth of Your Child Is ‘No Excuse’ for Missing a Work Function
By Jessica Roy

According to Ashlee Vance's forthcoming biography about Elon Musk, the Tesla founder once scolded an employee for choosing to attend the birth of his child over a work event. "That is no excuse," Musk reportedly said when discovering why the unnamed employee was absent. "I am extremely disappointed. You need to figure out where your priorities are. We're changing the world and changing history, and you either commit or you don’t." Seems like the employee's baby mama would have had the same exact reaction to him missing the birth. Update: Elon Musk disputed the comments Monday night, saying that he "strongly supports pregnancy leave."

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[Anonymous]

I've known several lawyers who have attended events when their wives were due to give birth any minute (at least of few of these guys were a plane ride away). They usually make it in time. But they don't sweat it if they don't.

[Anonymous]

Same when I worked in IB.

[Anonymous]

If it's true, what a deranged ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's true, what a deranged ass.

He's not the only one. There are many like him who think the world would stop revolving without him/her.

[Anonymous]

Omg. He said he never said that, and the person who claims it was emailed to him has not come forward with the supposed email. Probably an exaggeration.

[Anonymous]

I'd like to see a copy of his family leave policy, to settle this. And I don't mean a newly revised version.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've known several lawyers who have attended events when their wives were due to give birth any minute (at least of few of these guys were a plane ride away). They usually make it in time. But they don't sweat it if they don't.

That's nothing. How many women (lawyers in particular) are still conducting business while in labor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've known several lawyers who have attended events when their wives were due to give birth any minute (at least of few of these guys were a plane ride away). They usually make it in time. But they don't sweat it if they don't.

That's nothing. How many women (lawyers in particular) are still conducting business while in labor?

I'm in B2B professional sales, and this is pretty common among our female sales reps - for the first baby. I can't think of anyone who has done it with subsequent children.

[Anonymous]

Did he not divorce his wife because she wanted him to spend more time with his 5 kids?

He is an amazing entrepreneur, but not a good family man.

He was trying to hit on Karly Kloss at the recent MET gala. Ugghhh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've known several lawyers who have attended events when their wives were due to give birth any minute (at least of few of these guys were a plane ride away). They usually make it in time. But they don't sweat it if they don't.

That's nothing. How many women (lawyers in particular) are still conducting business while in labor?

I stayed at work for 9 hours while in labor. But then again, my body was with me, and I wasnt ready to be admitted, so where else would I be?And my husband stayed close so as not to miss it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've known several lawyers who have attended events when their wives were due to give birth any minute (at least of few of these guys were a plane ride away). They usually make it in time. But they don't sweat it if they don't.

That's nothing. How many women (lawyers in particular) are still conducting business while in labor?

I'm in B2B professional sales, and this is pretty common among our female sales reps - for the first baby. I can't think of anyone who has done it with subsequent children.

I worked all day while in early labor with my second child. It wasn't machismo or anything; I just figured I might as well stay occupied.

[Anonymous]

Except he didn't actually say this at all.

[Anonymous]

Interview with Chris Anderson at SXSW 2013:

Then, in a kind of sad admission, he [Musk] says that he doesn’t see his kids enough, but that he’s able to be with them while on e-mail.

“Because they don’t need constant interaction, except when we’re talking directly,” he explains. “I find I can be with them and still be working at the same time.”

Anderson interrupts at this point, asking Musk to confirm — “Are you saying you can do e-mail while you’re with your children?”

“Yea, absolutely.” Musk repeats. “I mean, not all the time, but alot of the time… in the absence of that I would not be able to get my job done.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” says Anderson while sort of shaking his head as the audience snickers uncomfortably. “I have five children and I can’t do e-mail while I’m with my children. It’s not good for the children and it’s really not good for the e-mail.”

Musk then says something about needing to have a nanny around before Anderson mercifully changes the topic to bail Musk out of a very uncomfortable moment. While you can hear some of it on the video, the clip doesn’t completely capture all the shocked gasps and whispers going around the audience during this exchange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interview with Chris Anderson at SXSW 2013:

Then, in a kind of sad admission, he [Musk] says that he doesn’t see his kids enough, but that he’s able to be with them while on e-mail.

“Because they don’t need constant interaction, except when we’re talking directly,” he explains. “I find I can be with them and still be working at the same time.”

Anderson interrupts at this point, asking Musk to confirm — “Are you saying you can do e-mail while you’re with your children?”

“Yea, absolutely.” Musk repeats. “I mean, not all the time, but alot of the time… in the absence of that I would not be able to get my job done.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” says Anderson while sort of shaking his head as the audience snickers uncomfortably. “I have five children and I can’t do e-mail while I’m with my children. It’s not good for the children and it’s really not good for the e-mail.”

Musk then says something about needing to have a nanny around before Anderson mercifully changes the topic to bail Musk out of a very uncomfortable moment. While you can hear some of it on the video, the clip doesn’t completely capture all the shocked gasps and whispers going around the audience during this exchange.

Around 34 min in:
https://vimeo.com/65395321