New Delhi: Billionaire maverick Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his role as a Special Government Employee (SGE), a position he held during the Trump administration to champion the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. This move comes amidst a whirlwind of challenges across his sprawling business empire and mounting public discontent surrounding his leadership.
In a concise statement shared on his platform X, Musk confirmed the conclusion of his tenure, extending his gratitude to President Donald Trump. “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. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he penned.
The DOGE initiative, a brainchild of the Trump administration, was conceived to streamline federal operations and rein in profligate expenditure. Musk, a high-profile recruit from the tech world, had become the recognizable face of the project. His departure signals a significant shift for the initiative, though officials have assured that the programme will soldier on under the stewardship of existing agency personnel.
Musk’s exit from federal duties appears to coincide with his renewed full-time focus on executive responsibilities, as a storm brews across his various ventures. Speaking to CNN earlier this week, he admitted to being back to “spending 24/7 at work” and even catching Zs in office conference rooms, all in an effort to steady the ships at Tesla, X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX, and his AI startup, xAI.
Tesla is currently grappling with dwindling vehicle sales and a cloud of skepticism hanging over its futuristic Cybertruck. X has been under fire following a major service outage and controversy surrounding Grok, xAI’s chatbot, which faced criticism for allegedly propagating conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s much-touted Starship rocket recently encountered a dramatic failure during a test flight, disintegrating over the Indian Ocean shortly after its launch.
Despite these hurdles, investor sentiment has shown glimmers of hope. Tesla shares have seen a healthy 25% surge over the past month, though they still remain considerably below their December peak. Much of this renewed optimism hinges on Musk’s ability to deliver on long-pending promises, including the imminent debut of an autonomous robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas.
Interestingly, Musk also publicly expressed his disapproval of a recent federal spending bill proposed by Trump, lambasting it for exacerbating the budget deficit. In a video message released on Tuesday, he stated, “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. I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
As Musk recedes from his governmental obligations, the DOGE initiative is poised to continue its work without its most prominent figure. Embedded teams will remain active across various federal departments, diligently carrying forward efforts to enhance efficiency in government operations, a mission they hope will truly become a “way of life” across the sprawling machinery of governance.
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