Former employees reveal the true personalities of billionaires at work: Elon Musk is funny but fires him ‘lightning fast’, Bill Gates has a secret way to expose people who like to ‘explode loudly’

The real people, lives and work habits of the world’s richest people are always the most curious things to the public.

The lives and work habits of billionaires fascinate those who aspire to understand their success. Most books, podcasts and countless articles emphasize the eccentricities and “different” life rules of these wealthy CEOs. But what is the truth? Business Insider interviewed subordinates who worked with Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Sara Blakely to give the public a new perspective on the real people of these billionaires.

Bill Gates easily knows when someone is lying

During 8 years of working directly with the founder of Microsoft, former vice president of human resources Chris Williams shared that he learned many things from Bill Gates, especially how to ask questions to expose who is boasting. . Gates always tries to use a series of questions to “pull the other person into a corner” until that person admits he or she lied or stays silent.​

Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates. Photo: BI

According to Chris Williams, the longer the conversation, the better Bill Gates’ ability to recognize lies. Then the other person will receive a look of disappointment and know that they should withdraw from the conversation with one of the richest men in the world. Williams also began to learn how to see people after working with Gates.

According to Williams’ description, the 67-year-old billionaire is always curious and wants to learn everything in extreme detail. The former Microsoft deputy director was also impressed with Gates’ ability to absorb “thousands of data and dozens of opinions to find the right solution” in a meeting. After that, this billionaire immediately determined what was important to do.

Sara Blakely is a “creative genius”

Sara Blakely is an American billionaire businesswoman and founder of the lingerie company Spanx. She was named in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012.

Female billionaire Sara Blakely. Photo: Forbes

Blakely’s former assistants Lisa Magazine and Kenya Graham had “kind words” for this female billionaire. They worked with Blakely when the company had just over 10 employees, in the basement of a hotel, the office didn’t even have windows. Their task is to plan the businesswoman’s day, encourage her and help her be as presentable as possible every time she enters a meeting or during a speech.

Although they have a boss-employee relationship, Magazine describes Blakely as friendly and approachable like a “girl next door” and also “one of the most creative geniuses I’ve ever met.”

Elon Musk may be funny but fires employees very quickly

During his early days on the job, former Tesla regional manager Carl Medlock attended a meeting in which employees disagreed with Musk’s opinions. Medlock never saw the employee again after that. “Musk is not someone who lets others go against his views. He will send you away very quickly,” Medlock shared.​

Elon Musk currently owns many large companies such as SpaceX, Tesla Motors, Twitter. Photo: Getty Images

“When Elon stands up at the end of the meeting and finalizes ‘the direction we are going,’ you better stand up and agree with that direction too,” said the former Tesla regional director.

According to Carl Medlock, Elon Musk is funny if you’re on his side and “for people who aren’t in the car industry.” However, Medlock has never seen his boss socialize or joke with employees. “He will talk if there is something to talk about but Musk never gossips with people. Even in meetings he doesn’t waste a moment and gets straight to the point,” Medlock added.

Jeff Bezos often holds meetings up to 4 hours long

Jeff Bezos, founder of multinational technology company Amazon. Photo: Getty Images

Colin Bryar, former Vice President of Amazon and Chief Human Resources Officer of Bezos, worked for 12 years with Jeff Bezos and learned many valuable experiences from this billionaire. These include being aware of the importance of understanding trends, having many effective initiatives to minimize risks and accepting that it is difficult to work harmoniously in a team.

Bezos often holds a weekly 4-hour meeting with subordinates who work directly with him instead of meeting individually with each person. All subordinates will participate regardless of whether the meeting content is directly related to their responsibilities or not. According to Bryar, the 59-year-old billionaire wants employees to understand each other’s duties to help them unite if the inevitable crisis occurs.​

Related Posts

‘Daddy’s Head’ Trailer – A Grotesque Creature Haunts This Shudder Original Horror Movie

In the wake of the film’s World Premiere at Fantastic Fest this Sunday, September 22, Benjamin Barfoot’s horror movie Daddy’s Head is coming to Shudder on October 11. Watch the official trailer for Daddy’s…

Asylum of Darkness | Full Movie | Horror Sci-Fi | Richard Hatch

𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 Director Jay Woelfel’s “Asylum of Darkness” takes viewers on a chilling ride through a world where reality and nightmare…

Venom 3: The Last Dance (2025)

The final trailer for “Venom 3: The Last Dance” delivers a dark, action-packed glimpse into the next chapter of the Venom saga. Starring Tom Hardy as Eddie…

PREY 2 – Trailer (2024) Amber Midthunder

If Disney makes one key change to the release of Prey 2, then it could easily break a Predator franchise record that has remained unbroken for the…

Apocalypto 2 (2025)

Apocalypto 2 (2025) brings back the tension and breathtaking adventure of the first film, now with a deeper story and more epic action. Directed by Mel Gibson,…

𝐀𝐙𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐋 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒) 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫 (𝐇𝐃) 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠

Set in a world in which no one speaks and follows a devout female-led community which hunts down a young woman who has escaped her imprisonment. Recaptured…