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Published : 28 Aug 2025, 03:00 PM
Sunny Varkey, the Indian-born billionaire and chairman of GEMS Education, has reignited a familiar debate about work-life balance with a blunt message that lasting success requires the ability to work around the clock.
In a recent interview with Emirati podcaster Anas Bukhash, Varkey traced his rise from modest beginnings to the helm of the Dubai-based education empire, describing discipline, determination and “relentless passion” as the forces that carried him forward.
But it was his response to a question about whether true success can coexist with work-life balance that drew attention, according to a report published by the Hindustan Times.
“One should definitely try to maintain a balance,” he said.
“But if I work eight hours like everybody else, I won’t be successful.”
Varkey went further, adding: “I worked almost 24/7. Today, I work 24/7, literally. And the team works with me on the same level and same pace. It would be good if one could have a work-life balance, but it won’t be very easy. It’s just difficult.”
The comments quickly rippled online, dividing opinion per a report from Indian broadcaster NDTV.
Admirers praised his candour, calling the remarks “positive and full of really helpful advice from someone successful yet so down to earth.”
Critics were less forgiving, warning against what they saw as the glamorisation of burnout.
“Does he realise what he is saying?” one commenter wrote, while another dismissed the sentiment as “modern-day slavery”.
Varkey is regarded as one of the wealthiest Indians in Dubai. His company, GEMS Education, operates more than 250 schools worldwide.
