(Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Amid widespread backlash against his businesses, Elon Musk this week teased a late spring exit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk is currently classified as what's known as a special government employee (SGE), which is "an officer or employee...who is appointed to perform temporary duties, with or without compensation, for a period not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days."
In an interview with Fox News, interviewer Bret Baier asked Musk if he would "continue past" the 130 days. "I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that timeframe,” Musk responded.
That's pretty non-committal, and Musk doesn't always follow through on pledges to step down from senior roles. But, assuming the 130-day clock started on Jan. 20, that means the SGE designation expires on May 30, though as the US Federal Labor Relations Authority notes, "Your SGE status is based on our good faith estimate that you will not work for more than 130 days."
In the interview, Musk also defended DOGE's cuts, many of which have prompted protests and legal challenges. "They may characterize it as shooting from the hip, but it is anything but that,” he said. “Which is not to say that we don’t make mistakes."
Musk's DOGE activity has had a particularly adverse effect on Tesla. A report from YouGov found that Americans are now 12.8% more likely to have a negative than a positive opinion of Tesla, with this rising to 35% among those who describe themselves as liberals.
Worldwide Tesla sales have shrunk significantly, with US sales falling 11% year-over-year. Meanwhile, in Germany, where Musk recently pledged his support to the far-right political party AfD, sales fell a whopping 76% between February 2024 and February 2025. It’s also lost nearly $700 billion in stock market value since its peak of $1.54 trillion in December 2024.
SpaceX's Starlink internet service has also received its fair share of pushback in recent months, following uncertainty about the company’s continued support for Ukraine, with many on social media calling for a boycott.
And then there's X. On Friday night, Musk announced that his xAI startup would acquire X acquire X in an all-stock transaction. The acquisition values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion (or $45 billion with $12 billion in debt).
“xAI and X’s futures are intertwined,” Musk tweeted. “Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.”
He added: “This combination will unlock immense potential by blending xAI’s advanced AI capability and expertise with X’s massive reach.”