Chobani’s CEO says he slept in the company’s factories for the first 5 years of the business
Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya Reveals He Used to Sleep on Factory Floors in Early Days of Greek Yogurt Company
Hamdi Ulukaya, the Turkish billionaire who founded Chobani in 2005, recently shared insights into the early days of his Greek yogurt business during a Tuesday episode of the “Rapid Response” podcast.
Ulukaya explained that he started the company in a rural area, choosing a location “where the cows are, where the land is, and no bars and no restaurants, nothing.” Reflecting on those times, he said, “So you’ll sleep in the factories.”
The company was established in New Berlin, New York—a small countryside town roughly 200 miles from New York City. Ulukaya revealed that during the first five years, he rarely left the factory. When he built a new factory in Idaho, he reportedly stayed for six to seven months without leaving.
“You’ve got to make those kinds of commitments,” said the 53-year-old CEO. “Unless you make those kinds of commitments, especially in a high-growth environment, it will go south really fast.”
Ulukaya is not the only high-profile CEO known for sleeping at the workplace. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has openly discussed his habit of sleeping on factory floors multiple times. Speaking at the Annual Baron Investment Conference in November 2022, Musk revealed he had lived in Tesla’s factories in Fremont and Nevada for three straight years, calling them his “primary residences.”
He shared, “I slept on the floor, which was damn uncomfortable and made me smell like dust.” Musk emphasized that his intention was to demonstrate to his employees that he was not “drinking Mai Tais on a tropical island,” hoping to motivate them to work hard. He reiterated in May 2023 that he was “back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms.”
Another example is Xiaomi’s CEO and founder, Lei Jun, who posted a photo on X in November showing himself sleeping on a white mattress on the factory floor. In the post, he wrote, “Good morning! Woke up to the news that 100,000 units of Xiaomi SU7 achieved!”
Business Insider reached out to Chobani representatives for comment but did not receive a response.
These stories highlight the intense dedication and commitment required to grow and sustain successful companies, with CEOs sometimes going to extraordinary lengths to lead by example.
https://www.businessinsider.com/chobani-ceo-hamdi-ulukaya-slept-factory-first-5-years-2025-10
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