78-Year-Old Billionaire Has Worked 12-Hour Days for 50 Years and Doesn’t Know Burnout

Andrew Cherng, co-founder of the American Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express, has maintained a roughly 12-hour daily work schedule for 50 years and says he has never experienced burnout.

Cherng traces the habit to 1973, when he opened the first Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena, California, with a loan. That single location eventually grew into Panda Express, and the family now operates more than 2,600 outlets across the United States.

Cherng says there is no special secret to his endurance. “You work, you come home, you sleep well — that’s the whole balance,” he explained.

Today, the family’s net worth is estimated at $6.6 billion. The account underscores the long-hours culture associated with founders of major restaurant chains, even as debates over burnout and work-life balance have intensified in the broader economy.