I think they were including things like travel and executive meals/networking as work time in the hours worked per week. I also assume these people really like their work (more like a hobby), which I can see making it easier to put in the hours. And at some point they can probably afford to pay for things that most of us do in our off hours (cook, clean, sit in traffic). So the numbers are definitely greater than butt in chair time.
Ok but 38 hours a week for sleep, hygiene? For years? Sleep deprivation alone causes serious mental and physical health issues and don't just impact the sole individual. That's deific, and I can see why the gods have issues, and they rest, according to the mythos.
That like 5 hours per night with 20 min to shower/get ready. Not great, but it can be done by taking meetings during your commute into work, having food delivered and eating/working at the same time. I assume that lady didn't have kids during her time at Google (when she was working those hours).
Edit: Marissa Mayer did not have kids during her time at Google. She had her first after she'd moved to Yahoo. There are no mentions of her hours there, so I assume they were less (not as fun to put into the article)
I mean, it says "people would work as much as 130 hours in a week, including an all-nighter", so I don't read it as being consistent, nor always her. And the all-nighter was singular.
Edit: forgot to mention that this article is objecting to her formula for success, not her claims about working that many hour as being impossible.