Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO Shares Experience of Working 100 Hours a Week, Feeling Sad 90% of the Time, Reacts to 90-Hour Work Week Claim

Radhika Gupta, the MD and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, shared her experience of working 100 hours a week. She wrote on social media:

“I worked 18 hours a day with only one day off. Then, instead of Sunday, I got a day off on Monday because I had to visit a client site on Sunday. At that time, I was sad 90% of the time. I would go to the office bathroom and cry. At 2 a.m., I would eat chocolate cake from room service, and I was hospitalized twice. The surprising part is that even though I worked 100 hours, I wasn’t productive. This same story is true for many of my classmates from graduation, who are working in jobs such as banking and consultancy.”

In fact, during an online conversation with employees, Larsen & Toubro Chairman SN Subrahmanyan advised them to work 90 hours a week. He mentioned that if possible, the company might even ask them to work on Sundays. Following this, Radhika Gupta shared her own experiences.

Radhika Gupta: Not Everyone Wants to Be a CEO or Founder

Radhika Gupta stated that hard work is an option, ambition is a choice, and both come with their own consequences. She mentioned that not everyone aspires to become a CEO or founder. “I know many people who have chosen careers with fewer demands in their fields because having time off from work is meaningful to them.”

Radhika Gupta: Hard Work is Not the Same as Work Hours

Radhika Gupta shared an example of a friend who created Excel models with a screensaver to convince their boss that they were in the office. She emphasized that hard work is not equivalent to long work hours.

She pointed out that many developed countries work from 8 AM to 4 PM but ensure productivity during that time. “Arrive on time and give your best at work. Only hold necessary meetings and use technology to be more effective,” she advised.

Edelweiss Mutual Fund Manages Over ₹1 Lakh Crore in Assets

According to the company’s website, Edelweiss Mutual Fund’s Assets Under Management (AUM) surpassed ₹1 lakh crore in November 2023. Over the last five years, the company’s AUM has increased by 11 times. The company currently manages a portfolio of 84 mutual funds, which includes equity, debt, hybrid, and money market schemes.