Billionaire businessman Elon Musk stepped down from his advisory role in the Donald Trump government on Wednesday after spearheading extensive efforts to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. His exit marks the end of a rather turbulent chapter that saw thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of entire government agencies and reams of litigation. But DOGE may not be done just yet — with the US government discussing several replacement candidates. Former US presidential candidate and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy who briefly headed the team alongside Musk has emerged as a top contender for the role.
“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,” Musk wrote on X.
The announcement came hours after the Tesla and SpaceX founder criticised the marquee tax bill touted by Trump — the latest sign of friction in their relationship. White House officials have also confirmed his exit and efforts are reportedly underway to name a successor. According to a Reuters report quoting sources, his ‘unceremonious’ departure was decided “at a senior staff level” and there was no formal conversation with Trump before Musk made his announcement.
The world’s richest man had faced several hurdles in his quest to increase government efficiency. He had dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals over the past few months.
Will DOGE shut down?
DOGE is staffed by around 100 government employees and expected to continue its operations despite the departure of Musk. It however remains unclear whether the group will retain its influence without its high-profile leader. 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 its efforts to restructure and shrink the federal government will continue and several cabinet secretaries are already discussing with the White House on how to proceed without further alienating Congressional Republicans. But even as department heads will keep some DOGE infrastructure in place, they will likely move to reassert control over budgets and staffing, sources told Reuters.
Who will replace Elon Musk as head of DOGE?
Former DOGE co-lead Vivek Ramaswamy has emerged as a top contender for the post. He had stepped down from the role to run for Ohio governor in February.