Musk leaves his position as advisor to the US government

Billionaire magnate Elon Musk has announced his resignation as advisor to the US government due to disagreements over the new tax and budget plan promoted by Donald Trump's Republican administration.

The prominent businessman, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, said that the latest fiscal and budgetary policy of Donald Trump's administration ‘undermines’ his efforts to improve the efficiency of public spending.

Donald Trump had included Elon Musk in his advisory team for his new term as US president with the aim of cutting public spending as much as possible and seeking maximum efficiency in the use of state funds in all areas. The position gave the South African-born businessman complete freedom to cut public spending and maximise the use of state funds. This policy was criticised from various quarters for the harsh cuts implemented during Elon Musk's time as advisor for this task. 

Among the most vocal critics were those concerned about cuts in humanitarian aid by agencies such as USAID, which meant the cessation of billions of dollars in aid for US foreign assistance missions.

Elon Musk has been at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, for almost six months, and now his departure has been announced due to differences on fiscal and budgetary policy issues.

‘Now that my scheduled time as a special government employee is coming to an end, I want to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,’ Elon Musk said in a statement posted on his official social media account.

As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.

The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025

Elon Musk himself also said that he believed his department responsible for cutting public spending would become a ‘way of life for the entire government.’ He added that this department will be strengthened over time.

Musk's departure comes after the billionaire criticised Trump's budget plan, debated in the US Congress, which includes multi-billion-pound tax breaks and a promise to increase defence spending, in an interview.

The US House of Representatives narrowly approved what Trump has called his ‘big and beautiful’ bill last week, which will now be debated in the Senate.