WASHINGTON — Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is stepping down from his role in the Trump administration following a turbulent four-month effort to overhaul the federal government, a White House official confirmed Wednesday.
The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Musk’s departure process would begin immediately, as his 130-day appointment as a special government employee nears its expiration on May 30.
Musk, who had been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency — a unit tasked with streamlining federal operations — acknowledged the end of his tenure in a post on X, the social media platform he owns.
“Thank you to President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
The administration has indicated that the department’s efforts to downsize and restructure the federal bureaucracy will continue after Musk’s departure.
Musk’s role in Washington marked an unusual foray into public service for the tech entrepreneur, whose aggressive cost-cutting strategies and confrontational style generated both headlines and controversy during his brief time in government. While he promised sweeping reforms, internal resistance and political headwinds hampered many of his initiatives.
