US billionaire Ilon Musk, who has been granted special government employee status to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, said his time in the Trump administration is “coming to an end”.
“As my planned time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to cut wasteful spending,” he wrote on social media X. “DOGE’s mission will only grow stronger over time as it becomes a way of life across the government”
A White House official, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed Musk’s departure in comments to the AP news agency. It has not yet been officially announced.
Musk announced his decision a day after CBS television published part of an interview in which he criticised a central part of Trump’s legislative agenda, saying he was “disappointed” with what the president called his “big beautiful bill”.
Speaking to CBS, Musk called the so-called BBB (Big Beautiful Bill) a “huge spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, which he created.
Musk’s comments came at a time when he has stepped away from government work to devote himself to his own companies – electric car maker Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX. He also announced that he would cut back on his political spending.
Musk had earlier announced that he was cutting his job at DOGE starting in May.
In November 2024, Trump announced that businessman Ilon Musk and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy would head the Department of Government Efficiency in his administration.