Elon Musk exits Trump administration as ‘Special Government Employee’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced his departure from the Trump administration early Thursday. In a post on X, the head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said, “...my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end.”

Musk also thanked US President Donald Trump for the opportunity he gave him “to reduce wasteful spending.”

“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 posted on X.

He added, “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Musk had been spearheading DOGE as a “special government employee” in the Trump administration. This designation is given to people who join the government for a short period of time, typically to provide specialised expertise.

Musk's departure from the US government comes shortly after he gave an interview critical of Trump’s biggest legislative priority — the tax cut proposal known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — as not doing enough to reduce federal deficits.

'End of a turbulent chapter'

Musk's departure marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation, the Associated Press reported.

Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped, the report added.

Musk, the SpaceX boss, dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals.

Sometimes, he reportedly clashed with other top members of Trump's administration, who chafed at the newcomer's efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced fierce political blowback for his efforts.

Musk’s role at DOGE was always temporary

The South African-born tech tycoon's role working for Trump was always intended to be temporary. His appointment as a special government employee had a fixed term of 130 days, starting on Inauguration Day (January 20).

Under US ethics laws, special government employees cannot serve for more than 130 days in a 365-day period, meaning Musk’s tenure is set to end by May 30.

What's next for Musk and DOGE?

Musk had recently signalled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.

Meanwhile, in April, Trump was asked about the future of DOGE: “Is DOGE going to keep operating even without Elon Musk?”

He replied, “I can't tell you that. I will say this — a lot of the people working with DOGE are the secretaries, the heads of the various agencies, and they've learned a lot. And they're dealing with the DOGE people.”

“I think some of them may try to keep the doge people… At a certain point, I think it will end,” Trump had said.