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Elon Musk is formally stepping down from his role in the Trump administration after just five months, ending a tumultuous period during which he oversaw cost-cutting by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk, who began scaling back his work at Doge last month, said: “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.”
The world’s richest man was a “special government employee”, a category within the US civil service that restricts staff from working for more than 130 days in a year for the administration.
However, Musk originally intended to lead Doge until next summer, and officials believed there were workarounds to keep him on board for longer, according to people familiar with the matter.
Musk seemed to suggest that the initiative would continue without him, adding on X: “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
A White House official said Musk’s “off boarding” had begun.
