CEOs like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg aren't just all about work. Here are some of the unusual hobbies of tech execs, from gaming to yacht racing.
Elon Musk (left), Tim Cook (center), and Mark Zuckerberg (right) all have their own ways of spending time outside of running companies.
Ap Images; Bryan Erickson/ BI
The leaders of tech's biggest companies have some interesting hobbies.
Activities include gaming, working out, or — in Bill Gates' case — collecting luxury cars.
Here's how the industry's top players spend their time outside of work.
When they aren't running multi-billion-dollar companies, tech executives find time to pick up some varied hobbies.
While some, like Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, participate in expensive and unusual activities that match their ultra-high net worth, others spend their spare time in more typical ways, like hitting the gym or playing sports.
Despite having extremely demanding schedules, the leaders of some of the biggest corporations in the world still find ways to play almost as hard as they work.
Here are the hobbies of some of the biggest names in tech.
Tim Cook likes cycling and rock climbing.
Tim Cook enjoys outdoor activities.
Michael M Santiago/Getty Images
Although Apple CEO Tim Cook is private about what he does outside work, he reportedly enjoys cycling and rock climbing.
The Wall Street Journal said in 2014 that Yosemite and Zion National Parks are among his favorite vacation destinations.
Mark Zuckerberg is into combat sports and playing his guitar.
Mark Zuckerberg attends MMA fights and also trains in combat sports.
Sean M. Haffey
In recent years, Mark Zuckerberg has been open about his love of mixed martial arts.
The Meta CEO appears to be both a spectator and a participant in combat sports. He's been spotted ringside at UFC fights and even sustained a serious injury while sparring in November.
A scroll through his Instagram will also reveal that Zuck is more than proficient at playing the acoustic guitar.
Jeff Bezos has had a major glow-up over the past few years.
Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Jeff Bezos seems to have become increasingly fit over the years, and his dedication to working out probably has much to do with it.
Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez told Vogue that the Amazon founder is a "monster in the gym." His personal trainer, Wes Okerson, has reportedly trained action star Tom Cruise.
Australian fitness publication Body and Soul reported that Bezos mostly does low-impact, high-resistance workouts like rowing and lifting weights.
Larry Ellison enjoys sailing.
Larry Ellison has enjoyed the expensive hobby of sailing since the 1990s.
Ezra Shaw/Getty
Larry Ellison is all about water sports. He partly financed the Oracle Team USA sailing team, which won the 33rd America's Cup yacht race in 2010.
But he's more than just a sponsor. Oracle CTO Ellison has also participated in yacht racing himself since the 1990s.
"It's funny, because I realized after losing twice that my personality wouldn't allow me to quit while losing. And then after winning the America's Cup, I discovered my personality doesn't allow me to quit while winning! I don't smoke, but I do sail," he told CBS in 2013 when asked about his need to win the America's Cup.
He also enjoys a more sedate time on the water. Musashi, the 88-meter superyacht he's owned since 2011, includes an elevator, beauty salon, basketball court, and more.
Sergey Brin favors activities that give an adrenaline rush.
Google cofounder Sergey Brin has some acrobatic hobbies.
Brooks Kraft/Getty Images
Sergey Brin became known for rollerblading around the Google campus during his time there.
Brin also likes to challenge himself with extreme activities like gymnastics, trapeze, and roller hockey. Stephanie Sammartino McPherson wrote in"Sergey Brin and Larry Page: Founders of Google" that he tried out for various sports teams while attending Stanford.
"I like to do a variety of acrobatic things," Brin has previously said.
Larry Page is interested in outdoorsy activities.
Google co-founder Larry Page owns Atomic Farm, an organic farm in the San Francisco area.
Jeff Chiu/AP
Unlike his fellow Google cofounder Brin, Larry Page is tight-lipped about how he spends his time since stepping back from leadership.
Page owns several private islands in the South Pacific and, if his organic farm is any indication, appears to have an interest in nature.
He's also been spotted kiteboarding in front of snow-capped mountains in Alaska.
Pichai visited the team in 2017 and got his very own customized Barcelona jersey. During his visit he took photos with the Ballon d'Or trophy and Lionel Messi — the player who's been given the award the most.
In true billionaire fashion, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has a hobby that requires some serious funds.
Gates likes to collect luxury cars, with a particular soft spot for Porsches. His estate in Medina, Washington reportedly has a 20-car garage.
His first big purchase with his Microsoft money was a Porsche 911 supercar in 1979.
Elon Musk is a gamer.
Elon Musk has been vocal about his love for video games over the years.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk certainly spends some of his time interacting with other users on his social media platform.
But, outside that — and running multiple companies — Musk has been said to enjoy playing video games.
His ex-girlfriend Claire Boucher — better known as Grimes — told biographer Walter Isaacson that Musk stayed up all night playing the game "Elden Ring" when it first came out.
Satya Nadella is a big fan of cricket.
Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner interviews Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the 2023 Axel Springer Award event. Axel Springer owns Business Insider.
Nadella is a co-owner of the Seattle Orcas — an American professional cricket team. During the 2023 Cricket World Cup, he spoke to the Times of India about his love of the game.
"As an Indian and a South Asian, I think it's more than a religion. For all of us, it's what we grew up with," he said during an interview.
Sam Altman likes racing cars and doomsday prepping.
Altman told the New Yorker in 2016 that he owned five racing cars — including two McLarens and a Tesla. He also said he has a stash of "guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water," and gas masks in case of a nuclear war or artificial intelligence rising up against humans.
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