Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his role as the White House’s government cost-cutting czar, ending a brief and contentious stint at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Confirming the news via a May 29 post on X, Musk thanked President Donald Trump “for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending” but admitted that improving federal operations proved to be an “uphill battle.” Musk’s position as a Special Government Employee limited his tenure to a maximum of 130 working days, which officially concludes on May 30. Appointed earlier this year, Musk took on the challenge of streamlining federal programs and reducing the size of the government workforce, but the results fell far short of his original ambition to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. Musk Ambitious Targets According to Musk and DOGE, the department claims to have saved U.S. taxpayers around $175 billion since Trump’s return to office in January. However, multiple media outlets and independent audits have disputed these figures, citing errors and exaggerations. Even by Musk’s own revised goal of $150 billion, the claimed savings still fall just short. The agency reportedly eliminated approximately 260,000 federal positions — about 12% of the total 2.3 million workforce — through layoffs, buyouts, and early retirements . These moves drew backlash from labor unions and public sector advocates. A federal lawsuit filed by 14 states accuses DOGE of overstepping legal boundaries, including unauthorized access to data and the unlawful termination of federal employees. Musk also criticized a recent multi-trillion-dollar tax break package passed by House Republicans, arguing that it undermines DOGE’s budget reduction efforts. “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I expected,” he told The Washington Post , and acknowledged the difficulty of achieving meaningful reform within Washington. Balancing Government Work and Corporate Leadership In a separate interview with Ars Technica on May 28, Musk reflected on the time he devoted to political affairs, stating, “I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics.” Critics have pointed to the executive’s increasing political involvement as a factor in Tesla’s recent struggles, including an 80% drop in net income in Q1. Still, Musk maintains that his role in DOGE was overstated and that his focus is now shifting back to his companies. “It’s not like I left the companies,” he clarified. Following his earlier announcement to reduce political commitments, Tesla shares jumped over 5% in after-hours trading, signaling renewed investor confidence. Despite Tesla’s underwhelming financial performance in 2025, the company still holds 11,509 Bitcoin , worth approximately $1.24 billion. Tesla stock remains down 5.9% year-to-date, largely in line with broader tech market trends. The post Elon Musk Steps Down as Government Efficiency Czar After Short-Lived Tenure appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .
