Mega-billionaire Elon Musk described his stint leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as only “somewhat successful” and said he would not choose to do it again. Speaking in a relaxed interview with conservative influencer and former aide Katie Miller, Musk reflected on the challenges of trying to overhaul the federal government and acknowledged the toll the effort took on his businesses.
Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X, defended the controversial Trump-era agency while also noting the difficulties in implementing rapid government changes. “We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful,” he said, adding that if given the choice, he would have focused on his companies instead of DOGE. He also referenced past consumer protests against Tesla, noting they “wouldn’t have been burning the cars” had he stayed focused on his businesses. Musk’s comments came during a 50-minute conversation on the Katie Miller Podcast, where he discussed topics ranging from DOGE and AI to social media and fashion. He claimed DOGE helped save up to $200 billion annually by cutting “zombie payments” through improved automation, though this fell short of his initial promises of trillions in savings.