Who Is Elon Musk?

My VIP for this week is the richest man in the world and industrialist Elon Musk who has been helping to cut expenses in the federal government and working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk signed up as a special government employee – unpaid – for a definite period of time of 130 days. According to George Caldwell at The Daily Signal, Musk came to the end of his “contract,” and President Donald Trump bade him farewell in an Oval Office ceremony on Friday. 

Caldwell quoted Trump as saying, “Elon has worked tirelessly, helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations.” Trump added, “The numbers that we’re talking about are substantial, but they’re going to be very much more substantial with time…. The numbers could double and triple.”

Even though Musk is leaving, DOGE will continue. Trump said that Congress and the White House will work together to update the computer systems of the federal government. He added that Congress will formally codify DOGE’s spending cuts into law. Caldwell wrote:

The White House has not yet formally sent Congress a rescissions package to do so, which would allow for the cancellation of discretionary spending through a simple majority vote in both houses.

“We’re totally committed to making the DOGE cuts permanent. … Most of it’s going to come later. We’re going to have it [codified] by Congress,” Trump said.

Codifying all the DOGE work will stop future President’s from changing the goals of DOGE. According to Caldwell, Musk thanked Trump for supporting the DOGE effort throughout the time that Musk worked in government. He also stated that the work of DOGE would continue.

“This is not the end of DOGE,” he said. “The DOGE influence will only grow stronger … I’m confident that over time, we’ll see … $1 trillion of waste and fraud reduction.” Asked what he expected his future relationship with Trump would be, Musk told reporters that he expected to remain in communication with the president.

“I expect to continue to provide advice, whatever the president would like,” Musk said. Trump quipped in response, “I hope so!”

Musk concluded, “I expect to remain a friend and an adviser, and certainly if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service.”