Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top advisor to US President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy. His departure, announced on Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation.
He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from USD 2 trillion to USD 1 trillion to USD 150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals.
“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. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Musk made his exit announcement on X.
Elon Musk was chosen by US President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, after winning the election. He was selected to work in the capacity of “Special Government Employee", allowing a person to work in the government capacity for 130 days a year.
However, Musk and Trump were not the best of friends, with the SpaceX chief telling CNBC in 2016, "I feel a bit stronger that he is not the right guy. He doesn’t seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States."
Things further exacerbated in 2017 when Trump announced the USA's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, prompting Musk to tender his resignation from his positions on the presidential advisory boards.
The Trump-Musk bromance took a swift turn in 2022 when Trump described Musk as one of the "great geniuses" in the world, comparing him to Thomas Edison.
In July 2024, the Tesla CEO endorsed Trump for president and joined Trump onstage at a rally in Pennsylvania. Musk was wearing the "Make America Great Again" cap.
In October 2024, Musk announced that he would be giving away USD 1 million to voters in swing states who signed his support for free speech petition.
While Musk was serving as the DOGE chief, reports of his clashes with Trump's cabinet members kept emerging, necessitating Trump's intervention to cool down matters.
Recently, he criticised the Trump administration's 'big beautiful bill', which includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement.
While speaking to CBS, Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.
(With inputs from AP)