The only way to become a billionaire is to viciously exploit the work of other people. It may happen directly or it may be a few intermediate steps away in the supply chain, but it has to happen. The problem is that wannabe billionaires don’t always have the resources to build a large enough workforce to generate the necessary exploitation. 996 solves the problem by raising the level of exploitation to achieve similar results with fewer people.

Meanwhile, a large-scale study in Europe, involving more than 70 companies, found that switching to a 32-hour work week improved their overall performance. Most of the companies in the study retained the new schedule after the study concluded.