Updated / Thursday, 29 May 2025 09:31
Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in a controversial effort to slash federal spending.
A White House official said that it was accurate that Mr Musk is leaving the administration and his “off-boarding will begin tonight”.
Mr Musk also said he was leaving his position within the US government in a post on his social media platform X yesterday.
“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,” he said in a post on X.
His departure was quick and unceremonious.
He did not have a formal conversation with Mr Trump before announcing his departure, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, who added that his exit was decided “at a senior staff level”.
Watch: Donald Trump reacts to criticism from Elon Musk of his ‘Big, beautiful bill’
While the precise circumstances around his exit are not immediately clear, he leaves a day after criticising Mr Trump’s marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work with the US DOGE service.
Over the last several weeks, he had clashed in private with some cabinet level officials.
Mr Musk publicly attacked White House trade adviser Peter Navarro as a “moron” for dismissing his push for “zero tariffs” between the US and Europe.
Mr Musk’s 130-day mandate as a special government employee in the Trump administration was set to expire around 30 May.
The administration has said DOGE’s efforts to restructure and shrink the federal government will continue.
“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” the Tesla CEO said.
Mr Trump and DOGE have managed to cut nearly 12%, or 260,000, of the 2.3 million federal civilian workforce largely through threats of firings, buyouts and early retirement offers, a Reuters review of agency departures found.
Mr Musk on Tuesday criticised the cost of Republicans’ tax and budget legislation making its way through Congress.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” he told CBS News.
His political activities have drawn protests and some investors have called for him to leave his work as Mr Trump’s adviser and more closely manage Tesla, which has seen falls in sales and its stock price.
Mr Musk, the world’s richest person, has defended his role as an unelected official who was granted unprecedented authority by Mr Trump to dismantle parts of the US government.
Having spent nearly $300 million to back Mr Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republicans last year, he said earlier this month he would substantially cut his political spending.
“I think I’ve done enough,” he said at an economic forum in Qatar.
