Elon Musk made a bold promise to an xAI engineer: a free Cybertruck if they could complete a GPU training run within 24 hours. According to Sulaiman Ghori, a former technical staff member at xAI, Musk made the offer during a critical phase of setting up new GPU racks. “Elon’s like, ‘OK, you can get a Cybertruck tonight if you can get a training run on these GPUs in 24 hours,’” Ghori recalled during an appearance on the podcast Relentless. The engineer, referred to only as Tyler, took on the challenge and succeeded. Ghori later confirmed that Tyler’s Cybertruck is now parked outside his lunch window, a visible testament to the bet’s outcome. This anecdote highlights Musk’s reputation for using high-stakes incentives to drive performance. Employees at his companies often trade lower base salaries for significant stock equity, betting on the long-term success of the ventures. Musk’s history of turning startups into massive enterprises fuels this risk-reward dynamic. Four days after the podcast aired, Ghori announced he had left xAI. “Nothing but love to my former team and coworkers!” he wrote on X. His departure sparked speculation, with public figures like MrBeast questioning the timing, adding a popcorn emoji to suggest irony. Musk has a long-standing tradition of making personal bets with employees. Nearly two decades ago, he wagered against early SpaceX employee Steve Davis, who put up $20 while Musk risked a frozen yogurt machine for SpaceX employees. Davis won the bet, and the team enjoyed a surprise treat. The flat organizational structure at Musk’s companies enables direct access to leadership. Ghori described xAI’s hierarchy as having just three levels: individual contributors, cofounders, and Musk himself. “No one tells me ‘no,’” Ghori said. “If I have a good idea, I can pursue it the same day and show it to Musk or the relevant customer.” With few formal deadlines, the culture emphasizes speed and urgency. “We don’t have due dates,” Ghori noted. “It’s always yesterday.” Adapting to this environment can be intense. Ghori, a former startup founder, said he arrived at xAI with no assigned team, no desk, and no clear direction. “Nobody told me what to do,” he said. “My first day, they just gave me a laptop and a badge.” He eventually connected with cofounder Greg Yang, who had helped hire him, and began working on the Ask Grok feature for X. The Cybertruck offer wasn’t Musk’s first such gesture. In March, he promised a Cybertruck to anyone who could identify the person behind a social media campaign by Democratic senators. Senator Cory Booker responded with a playful, “It was me. Keep your truck.”