Elon Musk. (Photograph by Royal Society)
South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced his departure from the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), after serving as a special government employee under the Trump administration.
DOGE is a temporary, newly-created government department tasked with reducing US government spending and cutting jobs.
Musk was limited to 130 days of service, with his term expected to end on Friday, 30 May. Meanwhile, DOGE is expected to conclude by 4 July 2026.
At the time of his appointment, Musk said: “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people.”
DOGE claims to have achieved an estimated saving of $175 billion through various initiatives, including contract/lease terminations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings and workforce reductions.
Musk wrote on his social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter): “As my scheduled time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank president Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Trump had chosen Vivek Ramaswamy, an American entrepreneur and politician, to work alongside Musk; however, he later dropped out to run for governor in his home state of Ohio.
According to reports, Musk’s exit comes after criticising Trump’s spending Bill, which he believed contradicted DOGE’s mission to reduce wasteful spending.
Meanwhile, a statement released by the White House lauds the work of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill”, saying it is crucial in cutting spending and fuelling growth, and levelling the fiscal footing of the American economy.
“The Bill saves more than $1.6 trillion in mandatory spending, including the largest-ever welfare reform. A remarkable achievement,” said Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff.
