Elon Musk has officially stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after serving in the role for four months. The announcement was confirmed by the White House on Wednesday, marking the end of Musk's brief tenure within the Trump administration.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Musk expressed gratitude toward President Donald Trump for the opportunity to address government inefficiencies. He wrote, "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."
The question on many minds now is who will succeed Musk at DOGE. When asked during an interaction commemorating Trump's 100th day in office, Musk compared DOGE's continuity to Buddhism, explaining, "Is Buddha needed for Buddhism? Was Buddhism not stronger after Buddha passed away?" He suggested that DOGE would continue gaining momentum without his leadership.
Musk's resignation followed closely after his public criticism of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," which he said conflicted with DOGE's core mission by increasing the national deficit. He commented, "A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion."
During his time at DOGE, Musk focused on cutting government waste, streamlining operations, and downsizing departments to improve federal efficiency. However, juggling these responsibilities alongside his roles at Tesla and SpaceX proved challenging. His split focus reportedly led to a 15% drop in Tesla’s stock value and setbacks at SpaceX.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO's role in the administration, despite not holding elected office, attracted significant criticism and public protests in the US and Europe. Additionally, investors urged Musk to prioritize Tesla, especially as his political commitments appeared to impact the company's performance.
Musk had invested nearly $300 million supporting Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republican candidates last year. Recently, he announced plans to reduce his political spending.
