Just came across this wild story about Elon Musk and his college friend Navaid Farooq that really puts things in perspective.

So Navaid Farooq was Musk's dorm-mate at Queen's University in Canada, and they actually bonded pretty hard over strategy video games—specifically Civilisation. They'd literally zone out for hours playing together. Seems like a solid friendship, right?

Here's where it gets interesting though. Navaid Farooq decided to join Musk at Zip2, his first company. But this is the kicker—he lasted exactly six weeks before walking out. Six weeks.

When asked why, Navaid Farooq basically said it came down to a hard choice: "I knew that I could either be working with him or be his friend, but not both, and the latter seemed more enjoyable." He found himself constantly in conflicts with Musk, and the intensity was just too much.

It's actually a pretty honest take on what happens when you mix close friendships with working for someone known for being demanding. Navaid Farooq chose to preserve the friendship instead, which honestly seems like the smarter move. You don't see that kind of self-awareness often.

Interestingly, Musk's brother Kimbal co-founded Zip2 with him and later invested in PayPal, so family dynamics in his companies have been way different. But Navaid Farooq's story is a reminder that even the closest friends sometimes can't survive the Musk work environment.