Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, May 29: In a significant development from the White House, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has formally stepped down from his position as a Special Government Employee and advisor to US President Donald Trump. Musk was closely involved in the formation and strategic advisory of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a presidential initiative aimed at curbing bureaucratic waste and streamlining federal operations.
Announcing his exit in a post on social media platform X, Musk wrote, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump 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 tech mogul’s departure follows his recent public disapproval of the Trump administration’s controversial “Big, Beautiful” spending bill, which the President hailed as a historic overhaul meant to save over $1.6 trillion in mandatory spending. While the White House portrayed it as the most extensive welfare reform in US history, Musk had a different take.
Speaking candidly, Musk said, “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
Musk had previously hinted that he intended to scale back his government role to refocus on his private ventures, particularly Tesla and SpaceX. His time with DOGE was largely seen as an ambitious experiment to introduce Silicon Valley-style efficiency into Washington’s slow-moving bureaucracy.
Despite his departure, insiders believe Musk’s influence on the DOGE framework may persist, especially as the Trump administration attempts to institutionalize cost-cutting mechanisms across departments.
The end of Musk’s advisory tenure marks yet another high-profile exit from President Trump’s circle of business-linked advisors, sparking renewed debates over the administration's balancing act between fiscal discipline and expansive economic policy initiatives.
Whether the DOGE initiative will sustain its momentum without Musk’s direct involvement remains to be seen — but the maverick entrepreneur’s parting words suggest that his impact on Washington’s spending culture could be longer-lasting than his tenure.