What We Know About Elon Musk’s ‘Department Of Government Efficiency’—As Musk Reveals Spending Targets

Topline

The world’s richest man Elon Musk’s role in the upcoming Trump administration is growing clearer as president-elect Donald Trump tapped him to lead the “Department Of Government Efficiency,” and, though exactly what the commission will do is still not exactly known, social media posts, reports and a Wednesday column penned by Musk and “DOGE” co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy have hinted at what government functions will be the first targets of the streamlining efforts.

Key Facts

Musk, alongside fellow billionaire and former GOP presidential candidate Ramaswamy, will lead the “DOGE” bureau, Trump announced last Wednesday, with the name an apparent nod to the “doge” dog meme often referenced by Musk.

Despite its name, the billionaire-led commission is not proposed as an official government agency, but rather an advisory board which will “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government,” wrote Trump, who set forth the department’s primary objectives to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure Federal Agencies.”

Trump said the commission will wrap by July 4, 2026, though Musk posted last Wednesday on his X social media platform he expects to be “done much faster.”

Details remain light on how exactly DOGE will operate, and it’s unclear how much funding the commission itself would receive, but recent social media posts and campaign trail fodder provide some insight.

Ramaswamy called last Wednesday for a “massive downsizing,” while Musk backed a roughly 75% reduction in the amount of U.S. federal agencies,” though any widesweeping funding changes would need to get approval from Congress.

In an appearance last week on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Musk said he hopes to “curtail [government] agencies to be much smaller” and to only “stick to what Congress authorized,” also calling for massive severance packages for government employees impacted by a potential purge (“a couple years of pay”) and predicting “America’s toast” if the government doesn’t reduce spending.

News Peg

In a lengthy opinion penned for The Wall Street Journal, Musk and Ramaswamy further outlined their vision for the commission, which they wrote will operate a three-pronged approach pursuing “regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions and cost savings” largely via executive orders signed by Trump. The billionaires identified three examples of “federal overspending” they intend to address: $1.5 billion in annual grants to overseas groups, $535 million annually to PBS and NPR overseer Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $300 million in grants to “progressive groups like Planned Parenthood” (Planned Parenthood receives about $50 million annually from the federal government). DOGE intends to recommend “pinpoint executive actions that would result in immediate savings for taxpayers” to reduce “the sheer magnitude of waste, fraud and abuse that nearly all taxpayers wish to end,” the duo wrote.

Doge Tax App

Musk and Ramaswamy have discussed making a smartphone app for Americans to file taxes for free online, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing anonymous sources. Musk has often lobbed at the IRS, calling Tuesday to “simplify the tax code.” Shares of tax filing services H&R Block and Intuit have dipped about 5% apiece following the report.

Crucial Quote

“A reasonable formula to fix the U.S. government: Milei-style cuts, on steroids,” Ramaswamy posted Monday, referencing Argentinian President Javier Milei, the Musk ally who has cut his country’s annual spending by a reported 32% since taking power last year.

Doge Calls For Applications

In an X post last week, the commission requested individuals to apply to join the group. “We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting,” the department said, calling for interested applicants to send their resumes directly to DOGE via direct message on X.

Where Else Could Doge Cuts Be Made?

Musk intends to pare down the Federal Trade Commission, IRS, Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing two unnamed sources who have discussed the plans with Musk. The centibillionaire also endorsed last week a New York Post analysis story identifying several areas to potentially curb spending, ranging from big-ticket items like billions of dollars annually spent on maintaining unused government buildings to more dubious, smaller expenses like a $20,600 disbursement in 2022 toward a diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility exhibit in Ecuador.

Surprising Fact

Musk said last month he could identify “at least $2 trillion” in cuts from the federal government’s $6.75 trillion budget. But Scott Bessent, a contender to land the top economic role of Treasury secretary in Trump’s cabinet, expressed skepticism about that proclamation, telling Forbes last week he’s “not sure how they’ve gotten to that number,” but “look at the way [Musk] runs his companies. He runs them pretty well.”

What Does Doge Mean For Tesla?

As an outside adviser to the federal government, Musk won’t need to divest any investments or step down from any positions at private companies. That means Musk can proceed as normal as the chief executive officer and largest individual shareholder of the $1 trillion electric vehicle firm Tesla, the $210 billion aerospace and communications firm SpaceX and the $40 billion generative artificial intelligence startup xAI. “While Musk will now have another role to balance along with his myriad of other roles at Tesla/SpaceX/xAI, we believe the major benefits for Musk and Tesla far outweigh any negatives,” wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a note to clients last week. Shares of Tesla are up more than 30% since the election. Musk’s reported targeting of the FTC, IRS, DOJ and SEC with his cost-cutting commission brings into question potential conflicts of interest, as those are the primary agencies which would regulate and probe Musk’s companies.

Chief Critic

“The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person. Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote in a post on X last week, receiving more than 150,000 likes.

Tangent

Dogecoin, the meme cryptocurrency token famously touted by Musk, is up about 10% since Trump announced the DOGE commission. Part of a broader crypto rally, dogecoin is up more than 100% since election night, outstripping the 35% gain of bitcoin, by far the most valuable digital asset. Dogecoin is the sixth-most valuable cryptocurrency in the world, with a market capitalization of $57 billion, more than those of public companies Delta Airlines, Ford or Kraft Heinz. “The funniest name is DOGE,” Musk quipped to Rogan when talking about the new commission.

Further Reading