Elon Musk has left his role in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The Tesla CEO and world’s richest man had been serving as a special government advisor since Trump took office in a bid to slash federal government spending.
Due to his private sector roles, Musk was only able to work for the government for 130 days, and that would have taken him to about Friday, May 30.
Highlights
- Elon Musk ended his role as a special government advisor in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
- Musk criticized Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill for increasing the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion, opposing DOGE’s mission.
- DOGE saved $175 billion so far, with the Health and Human Services workforce cut by 25% through layoffs and resignations.
- Tesla profits dropped sharply amid Musk’s government role, with net income down 71% and car sales revenue falling 20%.
- Despite criticism of the spending bill, Musk said his departure wasn’t due to a fallout with Trump but the end of his term.
Elon Musk announced he had left the role this week after criticizing one of Trump’s bills
Image credits: The White House
“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,” Musk announced on May 28.
“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Sources told Reuters that Musk announced his exit before having a formal conversation with Trump, and said his departure was decided “at a senior staff level.”
While in recent days he had criticized Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Musk shared several posts on X saying he had not left due to a fallout with Trump, but because his term was simply over.
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The bill is a sweeping Republican proposal that narrowly passed in the House and is now being debated in the Senate.
It is designed to overhaul taxes, reduce federal spending, and tighten regulations on healthcare and immigration.
It aims to extend previous tax cuts, implement stricter Medicaid rules, restrict federal funding for gender-related and abortion services, and significantly boost funding for defense and border security.
But the bill’s tax policies are projected to add $3.8 trillion to the federal deficit, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates.
With the high cost at odds with DOGE’s mission, Musk said he was disappointed.
Image credits: elonmusk
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill frankly, which increases the budget deficit not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said in an interview with CBS.
“I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it could be both, my personal opinion.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump did not specifically comment on Musk’s statement but acknowledged the bill needed work.
He said he was “not happy about certain aspects of it” but “thrilled by other aspects of it.”
Tesla profits plummeted this quarter as Musk focused on DOGE work
Image credits: The White House
According to DOGE’s website, the department has saved $175 billion so far, with the most savings recorded at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
HHS has been hit with sweeping cuts and changes under DOGE, which offered about two million federal employees a “fork in the road” deal.
Around 75,000 were expected to accept the deal, which allows federal employees to resign but receive full pay until September 30 of this year.
In April, a major restructuring effort involved cutting about 10,000 positions and merging 28 separate institutes and centers into 15 newly formed divisions.
Image credits: The White House
Alongside these layoffs, an additional 10,000 employees have exited the agency in recent months through early retirement and voluntary resignation programs.
As a result, the HHS’ total workforce is projected to shrink from approximately 82,000 to 62,000—a reduction of about 25%.
Musk had earlier announced his intention to step back from politics after Tesla profits plummeted, in part due to widespread protests because of his government work.
Image credits: The White House
The electric car manufacturer announced a significant decline in both profit and sales for the first quarter, with net income falling 71% compared to the same period last year.
A company earnings report revealed a 9% decline in total revenue year-over-year, with car sales revenue falling 20% to $14 billion.
Musk told investors after the report that he would be scaling back his government work.
“I think starting probably next month in May, my time allocation to those will drop significantly,” he said at the time.
He also urged investors “to look beyond the bumps and potholes immediately ahead of us” and said he had been on the record many times, saying he believes “lower tariffs are generally a good idea.”
According to AP, protests at Tesla dealerships across the country have contributed to the company’s shares dropping more than 40% this year.
In recent months, there have been several reports about tensions between Musk and Trump staffers, who reportedly found him to be annoying and a political liability.