Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk will leave his post in the Trump administration after months of working to streamline the federal government, a White House official confirmed Wednesday.
The official, speaking to Reuters, said Musk’s departure is set to begin immediately. “His off-boarding will begin tonight,” the official said.
Musk, who served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on social media that he had thanked former President Donald Trump as his 130-day tenure as a special government employee comes to an end.
Musk’s term was due to expire around May 30, though the Trump administration says efforts by DOGE to shrink the federal government’s size will continue.
“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk said.
Under Musk and Trump, DOGE slashed nearly 12% — or 260,000 — of the 2.3 million-strong federal civilian workforce, according to a Reuters review of agency departures. These cuts were largely driven by buyouts, early retirement offers, and threats of mass firings.
Musk has drawn protests for his dual role as a government official and head of Tesla, with some investors urging him to focus on the automaker’s operations instead.
On Tuesday, Musk criticized Republican budget legislation moving 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,” he said in an interview with CBS News.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has defended his role in the Trump administration as an unelected official granted sweeping authority to downsize parts of the U.S. government.
