Elon Musk on Wednesday said he was leaving his position within the US government after leading the Department of Government Efficiency in an effort to slash federal spending.
“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 wrote on X.
A White House official told Reuters that Mr Musk is leaving the administration and his “off-boarding will begin tonight”.
Mr Musk's 130-day mandate as a special government employee in the Trump administration was set to expire around May 30. 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,” he wrote.
Mr Musk and Doge have cut nearly 12 per cent, or 260,000 people, from the 2.3 million-strong federal civilian workforce largely through threats of firings, buyouts and early retirement offers, Reuters reported.
Mr Musk's departure comes after he criticised the price tag 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,” Mr Musk told CBS News.
The richest person on the planet's political activities have drawn protests and some investors have called for Mr Musk to leave his work as Mr Trump's adviser and manage Tesla more closely.
He leaves Washington dramatically changed. Doge's firings exploded the US capital's long-held boast that it is immune to economic shocks that buffet the rest of the country.
The Tesla and SpaceX chief executive joined the Trump administration in January and claimed he would cut $2 trillion from the $7 trillion federal budget. It became clear that was wildly overambitious, and as of today, Doge says it has saved an estimated $175 billion.
But the taxpayer may end up on the hook for more than that as the government is forced to settle lawsuits over the mass firings, as well as hire expensive contractors to fill the gaps left by an overzealous Doge.
Any savings will also be dwarfed by new deficit spending under the Republicans' tax bill that is currently under Senate consideration.
Mr Musk's role working for Mr Trump was always intended to be temporary, and he had recently signalled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses.
MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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