‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture

Gen Z founders chasing their big break are facing a modern-day catch-22: protect their mental health or sacrifice work-life balance in pursuit of success. 

Shark Tank investor and millionaire Kevin O’Leary has clear advice for Gen Z founders weighing how to spend their time. 

“The worst advice I hear young founders talk about all the time is that they want to work 18 hours a day. How stupid is that?” O’Leary said in a video on Instagram, sporting a red, cheetah-print top and floral pants.

The admonishment comes as everyday workers are increasingly expected to work longer hours. The 996—a 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six-day-a-week work schedule that was outlawed in China in 2021—has been newly glorified in Silicon Valley. AI startup Rilla told candidates not to bother...