Elon Musk‘s controversial tenure as Chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been terminated. He was appointed by the Trump Administration. Musk thanked Donald Trump for the opportunity in a statement shared on his X account. Musk added that the job was more complex than he once envisioned.
As a special government employee, Musk had a legal limit of 130 days in office, which ended on May 30. However, he also left due to growing frustration with government inefficiencies, as well as internal political infighting. “Elected and appointed officials shape government policy, while employees in the federal bureaucracy carry it out.” “It has been difficult to make any real progress.”
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
The department put the figure at $175 billion in budget cuts and job losses at the time of his DOGE. Experts and media outlets have, however, widely disputed these figures to claim the data is inflated or simply incorrect. Originally, Musk’s number was $2 trillion in federal spending cuts, which he later adjusted to $150 billion.
DOGE cut the federal workforce by 12%, letting go of about 260,000 workers through layoffs, buyouts, and early retirements. Musk stated that the initiative’s “mission will only get stronger over time” as a compact long-term plan to improve government effectiveness.
Meanwhile, legal troubles have begun to surface. A suit brought against Musk and DOGE by 14 U.S. states alleges that they exceeded their authority, improperly accessed government systems, fired staff without due process, and cancelled federal contracts.
Musk also said he got too involved in politics, which he claimed took away energy from his core business.
“I probably spent a little too much time on politics,” Musk stated, referring to Tesla, whose shares increased by more than 5% on Tuesday after Musk indicated he would devote less time to DOGE. Tesla reported an 80% drop in net income in Q1, yet this happened anyway.
Musk has had frequent run-ins with members of Trump’s administration, criticizing trade policy and internal decision-making. He also expressed frustration with a deal involving OpenAI and Abu Dhabi, who did not let his AI company join in.
Musk has become increasingly fatigued by politics after reportedly spending $25 million on a losing judicial campaign in Wisconsin. Since then, he has promised to greatly scale back his political contributions, remarking, “I think I’ve done enough.”
Musk steps back to focus on Tesla, SpaceX, and his other company. Future of DOGE uncertain. He insists that the mission will continue, but who will really know if he’s gone and it can, indeed, flourish without Musk?
