Musk leaves US government role leading the Department of Government Efficiency
Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur who is the world’s richest person and has led the development of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for US president Donald Trump, has confirmed that he has left his role working for government.
Musk became a high-profile government figure following Trump’s election victory after he helped set up DOGE, which has been at the forefront of wide-ranging changes to the US federal government. The office has been at the centre of plans to cut the federal government workforce and reduce spending, with actions including offering public servants eight months’ pay to resign, and placing all staff at the international development agency USAID on administrative leave and cutting aid payments.
DOGE has also led initiatives such as requesting that federal government employees detail their work in order to plan what it calls ‘reductions-in-force’, although recent judicial decisions barred the administration from issuing or finalising widespread layoffs after a preliminary injunction was issued finding Trump likely acted outside his legal and constitutional powers.
The agency has been taking steps to overhaul government technology, including actions to end the use of cheques in the US government, and centralising government technology systems to better track spending.
Posting on the social media platform X, which he owns, Musk said that his “scheduled time as a special government employee” was coming to an end. Under federal government rules, special government employees are allowed to work for government for 130 days each year without being subject to standard federal government recruitment rules.
In his statement, Musk said: “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.”
Read more of GGF’s coverage of the Department of Government Efficiency:
Trump picks Elon Musk to co-lead government efficiency drive
More details emerge on Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency
Judge pauses Trump administration plan to put USAID civil servants on leave
‘What did you do last week?’: US federal officials asked to detail their achievements – but agency responses differ
US federal government departments reopen deferred resignation programmes
Trump orders end of US government cheques in digital disbursements overhaul
Japan looks to learn from Elon Musk’s US government efficiency programme
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