New Delhi: Elon Musk has officially concluded his tenure as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, playfully dubbed “DOGE,” a role he took on with the ambitious aim of saving “trillions” of American taxpayer dollars, uncovering fraudulent government schemes, and reducing bureaucracy. While his formal assignment has ended, the tech mogul confirmed he would remain a friend and advisor to US President Donald Trump.
Musk clarified that his role was “always a limited-term assignment,” allowing him to now dedicate more focus to his vast business empire, which includes leading entities like SpaceX, Starlink, X (formerly Twitter), and Tesla.
At a farewell press conference, where he fittingly wore a blazer over a t-shirt that read ‘The DOGE-Father,’ Musk received effusive praise from President Trump. The President lauded Musk’s “historic” contributions, describing their friendship as “truly special” and noting that “What Elon has done for America hasn’t been done in generations.”
“What Elon has done for America hasn’t been done in generations – his contributions are historic,” Trump said.
Trump assured that despite Musk’s last day, “he will, always, be with us, helping all the way.” Musk echoed this sentiment, declaring that his departure was “not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning.” He likened DOGE’s influence to Buddhism, “a way of life”, expressing confidence it would ultimately secure “a trillion dollars of saving for the government.”
Under his leadership, Musk claimed that the DOGE team’s calculations for FY 2025-26 already indicated over 160 billion dollars in savings, expected to cross 200 billion dollars imminently. He pledged to continue visiting and monitoring DOGE’s progress, remaining available to advise President Trump whenever needed.
“This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning. My time as a special government appointee necessarily had to end at some point – it was always a limited-time thing. But the DOGE team will only grow stronger over time. Their influence (on governance) will only grow stronger. I will liken it to Buddhism – it’s like a way of life, and I am confident that over time it will ensure a trillion dollars of saving for the government” Musk said in his farewell speech.
However, Musk’s time at DOGE wasn’t without its challenges. Independent analyses, such as the “Doge Tracker” site, reported much lower savings, around 12 billion dollars, while The Atlantic estimated a mere 2 billion dollars.
Musk’s “move fast and break things” Silicon Valley approach reportedly clashed with some Washington colleagues. He even publicly expressed “disappointment” in a recent Trump tax and spending bill, feeling it undermined DOGE’s efforts.
Furthermore, his departure coincided with difficulties at his own companies, including slumping Tesla sales, protests, and a series of “fiery rocket failures” at SpaceX, hinting at the pressures that may have influenced his decision to step back.
