Elon Musk $DOGE
has officially stepped away from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Donald Trump’s $TRUMP
Cabinet after just over three eventful months in Washington. The departure, announced face-to-face during a Cabinet meeting on April 30, marks a major pivot back to Tesla and the private sector.
“It’s been an honor to work with your incredible Cabinet,” Musk told Trump and officials, calling their first 100 days “record-breaking.” Musk also confirmed that starting May, Tesla will once again command the bulk of his attention.
DOGE’s Final Report: Wins, Losses, and Reality Checks
Under Musk, DOGE claimed to save the U.S. government $160 billion—well below the $2 trillion originally promised. Trump cited $150B in savings, to which Elon quipped, “$160 billion, but who’s counting?” But not all data aligns with the rosy picture. The NYT reported that DOGE-related disruptions could cost the government $135 billion this year in delays, rehires, and productivity losses.
Still, Musk’s departure was met with applause. Trump thanked him publicly, saying, “You’ve been treated very unfairly.” Musk responded with his signature dry humor: “They like to burn my cars, which is not great,” nodding to recent Tesla-targeted vandalism tied to his political involvement.
What This Means for Tesla, Crypto, and Markets
On Tesla’s earnings call last week, Musk hinted at this move, saying he’d scale back to “a day or two per week” on federal matters. Now, with DOGE duties mostly behind him, he’s fully redirecting his time—and influence—back to Tesla. A printed DOGE report handed to Trump during the meeting served as a quiet capstone to Musk’s political detour.
For markets, this signals renewed focus on Tesla innovation and potentially fresh momentum in the crypto space, especially with Elon’s known interest in DOGE (the coin) and decentralized tech. Whether or not DOGE the agency lived up to its hype, one thing remains true: Musk never exits quietly.