Tech billionaire Elon Musk said in a podcast interview on December 9 that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been “somewhat successful,” but he has no plans to get back involved with the initiative.
In an episode of The Katie Miller Podcast, the SpaceX CEO explained that DOGE has only been a small success. The controversial program he introduced has also seen thousands of government employees laid off, but it still falls short of its goal of significantly reducing the federal budget.
Musk said some “nonsense” funding has been stopped, including what he claims are payments worth between $100 billion and $200 billion each year.
He said that simply ensuring that every payment has a complete code and explanation can cut a significant amount of spending.
But when asked if he would run DOGE again, Musk insisted that he had no intention of doing so and wanted to focus on other ventures. At the height of the initiative’s controversy earlier this year, several Tesla dealerships and privately owned vehicles were reportedly damaged, and dozens of protests broke out across the country.
Musk began to gain significant influence in politics after endorsing President Donald Trump in the 2024 election and becoming one of the largest financial contributors to the campaign.
However, the relationship between the two became strained when Musk reportedly left the White House earlier this summer after an open feud with Trump.
