Elon Musk Gave Away a Cybertruck for a 24-Hour GPU Challenge—You Won’t Believe How It Happened
Elon Musk Just Gave Away a Cybertruck to Reward Speed—Here’s How It Happened
Elon Musk is famous for his high-speed work culture, and he just proved it again—this time with a free Cybertruck. When an xAI engineer completed a GPU training run in just 24 hours, Musk rewarded them with the electric truck, showing once more how much he values speed and execution.
The Bet: Cybertruck for a 24-Hour GPU Training Run
According to former xAI employee Sulaiman Ghori, Musk offered a unique incentive while xAI engineers were setting up new GPU racks.
“Elon said, ‘OK, you can get a Cybertruck tonight if you can get a training run on these GPUs in 24 hours,’” Ghori shared on the podcast Relentless.
The engineer, identified only as Tyler, accepted the challenge—and won. Now, Ghori says he can see Tyler’s Cybertruck parked outside the xAI office from his lunch window.
Musk’s Culture: Fast, Individualistic, and Rewarding
This isn’t the first time Musk has used unusual incentives to push employees. His companies are known for fast execution, flat organizational structures, and a culture where initiative is highly rewarded.
Ghori explained that xAI had just three levels: individual contributors, cofounders, and Musk himself. “No one tells me ‘no,’” he said. If an employee has a good idea, they can act on it the same day and present it directly to Musk.
Deadlines are minimal because projects are pitched and completed quickly. “We don’t have due dates,” Ghori said. “It’s always yesterday.”
Life at xAI: Freedom and Pressure
Joining xAI was a shock even for Ghori, who had experience as a startup founder. On his first day, he received a laptop and a badge—but no desk or assigned team. He had to seek guidance from cofounder Greg Yang to start working on the Ask Grok feature in X.
Despite the lack of structure, Musk’s culture is designed to reward high performance. Employees often accept lower salaries but higher stock grants, betting on the company’s success—a model that has worked repeatedly across Musk’s ventures.
Musk’s History of Bets
Musk has a long history of making playful but high-stakes bets with his teams. Nearly 20 years ago, he wagered against SpaceX employee Steve Davis—$20 versus a SpaceX frozen yogurt machine. Davis won, and everyone at the Hawthorne campus got free frozen yogurt.
In March, Musk offered another Cybertruck as a prize for anyone who could identify the organizers of a political social media campaign.
Why This Matters
The Cybertruck giveaway is more than just a stunt—it illustrates Musk’s obsession with speed, efficiency, and results. By offering high-value rewards for performance, he motivates his teams to work faster, think creatively, and take risks.
It’s a culture that can be challenging to adapt to but can also lead to extraordinary results—like a GPU training run completed in 24 hours and a brand-new Cybertruck parked outside an office.