Elon Musk has officially concluded his brief but headline-grabbing tenure at the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal agency launched under President Donald Trump and humorously named after Musk’s favorite meme coin, Dogecoin.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk confirmed the end of his limited-term role as a Special Government Employee, thanking the administration and expressing confidence that DOGE’s mission to cut federal waste would “only grow stronger” in the future.
Musk’s exit had long been expected. Federal guidelines capped his appointment at 130 days—a limit he reached on May 30. His departure follows that of DOGE’s co-founder, Vivek Ramaswamy, who resigned earlier in January. With both founders now out, the agency is left without its original leadership.
DOGE was created to tackle what Musk had previously called an “existential” national debt crisis. The department claims it slashed $175 billion in unnecessary spending during his tenure—a figure met with skepticism from economists and government watchdogs who question the calculation’s transparency.
Musk’s presence at DOGE blurred the lines between policy and performance art. His signature mix of tech bravado and meme culture made its way into Washington, drawing both mockery and admiration. While critics say DOGE focused more on showmanship than substance, supporters argue it opened up a long-overdue debate on bureaucratic inefficiency.
DOGE Exit Follows Political Backlash and Tesla Troubles
Musk’s departure from DOGE caps a turbulent phase in his political ventures, marked by growing criticism from lawmakers, regulatory scrutiny, and mounting concerns from Tesla shareholders.
Throughout his time at DOGE, Musk’s efforts to shake up government spending were often overshadowed by controversy. His presence drew political ire from both parties, with Senator Elizabeth Warren calling the agency a “venue for corruption” and slamming it for a lack of transparency.
Adding to the friction was Trump’s own fiscal policy. Musk, once an advocate of DOGE’s mission, later admitted that the administration’s massive budget deal “undermines everything we’re trying to do.” The contradiction between DOGE’s stated goals and broader government spending cast a shadow over its credibility.
Meanwhile, Tesla has struggled with falling sales, employee unrest, and increasing pressure from investors to rein in Musk’s political distractions. In April, rumors of Musk’s DOGE exit sparked a rally in Tesla stock, highlighting how closely shareholders were monitoring his split focus.
“DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” Musk told The Washington Post.
“People were burning Teslas. Why would you do that? That’s really uncool.”
Business Booms as Musk Leaves Government Behind
Even as Musk steps away from government advisory work, his business empire is seeing a wave of momentum—signaling a shift back to innovation and infrastructure, even while political affiliations persist.
This week, SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 reached orbit for the first time before disintegrating mid-flight—a marked improvement from previous tests and a critical step toward full rocket reusability for deep-space missions.
At Neuralink, Musk’s brain-interface company, the momentum is also building. The startup closed a fresh $600 million funding round at a $9 billion valuation, highlighting investor optimism despite ongoing regulatory hurdles and ethical debates surrounding the technology.
Meanwhile, over at X, the platform has begun rolling out “X Money,” a beta digital wallet designed to integrate payments into the broader social media ecosystem. The feature is limited in scope for now but represents another step toward Musk’s long-held goal of transforming X into an all-in-one platform for communication, content, and commerce.
Quick Facts
- Elon Musk leaves the Department of Government Efficiency after reaching his 130-day limit
- DOGE claims it cut $175B in waste, though critics question the data
- Musk’s exit follows co-founder Vivek Ramaswamy’s resignation in January
- Tesla stock rallied amid rumors of Musk’s departure from government
- Neuralink secures $600M funding; Starship reaches orbit in test flight
