Washington ― Officially leaving the Trump administration, Elon Musk caps the explosive four-month stint of billionaire tech entrepreneur leading a controversial campaign to drastically reduce the federal government.
Musk announced his leaving in a May 28 post on X after already reducing his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency. It comes as his “special government employee” title, which let him remain on the job for 130 calendar days annually “ended.”
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk remarked. “The @DOGE goal will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Declaring “The off boarding process has begun,” a White House official verified Musk’s leaving to USA Today.
Leading a contentious campaign to quickly destroy the government of what Musk described as “waste and fraud” and cut the federal workforce, Musk was the head of DOGE and a top White House adviser. Manned by more than 100 government staff members, DOGE is scheduled to keep running without Musk in command. It is unknown, though, how much authority the group will keep absent its well-known leader.
After Tesla, his electric vehicle company, lost money following him as a divisive figure, Musk had already turned his focus back to his business empire. In line with the most recent test flight of his Starship spacecraft, Musk participated in a frenzy of media interviews this week from the SpaceX headquarters in South Texas.
Musk broke with Trump the day before he left by berating his enormous tax and expenditure proposal, nicknamed the “big, beautiful bill.” Last week, the measure—which comprises Trump’s domestic agenda on everything from tax cuts to border security—passed the House along party lines. It now moves to the Senate.
Although DOGE’s stated savings have sometimes been inflated or false, the group has claimed to have saved the federal government more than $175 billion by cuts. The office has destroyed whole federal departments, canceled government contracts, and oversaw tens of thousands of federal employees being let off.
During an earlier this month interview with USA TODAY and other media sources, Musk minimized the impact his absence may have on DOGE’s viability.
“Is Buddhism needed for Buddha?” When questioned who on the DOGE team would cover the void, Musk answered. “DOGE is a way of living.”
