Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has announced plans to reduce his role in President Donald Trump’s administration. This move comes as Musk seeks to focus on his business ventures, including his social media platform X, and his artificial intelligence company, xAI. The billionaire entrepreneur has been serving as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a body created by Trump to implement federal spending cuts.
Musk recently took to X to announce his decision, stating that he will be “back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms.” He emphasized the need to be “super focused” on his critical technologies, including the upcoming Starship launch. This announcement follows a major two-hour outage on X, which saw over 25,800 user-submitted reports of technical issues. Musk acknowledged the need for “major operational improvements” to prevent such outages in the future.
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk also revealed plans to reduce his political spending, saying he has “done enough.” The entrepreneur, who reportedly spent over $250 million in support of Trump’s presidential campaign, stated that he would spend “a lot less” in the future. This decision comes as a recent poll suggests that 57% of Americans disapprove of Musk’s job performance in the Trump administration, with only 35% holding a favorable view.
Musk’s role as a special government employee is expected to conclude later this month, allowing him to devote his full attention to his private ventures. Despite stepping down from his government role, Musk is expected to remain a “friend and adviser” to the US president and Vice President J.D. Vance. The Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk has been heading, will continue to operate until July 2026.
As Musk shifts his focus back to his business ventures, it remains to be seen how his reduced involvement in politics will impact his relationships with the Trump administration and the wider political landscape. One thing is certain, however: Musk’s attention will be firmly fixed on driving innovation and growth in his various companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, X, and xAI.
