Elon Musk announced his departure from the government on Wednesday after leading President Donald Trump’s efforts to slim down the federal bureaucracy.
The billionaire took to X on Wednesday night to share the news.
“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,” he wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk’s 130-day term as a special government employee was set to come to an end this week.
His departure comes just a day after he slammed the main legislation to push forward Trump’s agenda, saying that he was “disappointed” in what the president refers to as his “big beautiful bill.”
The bill includes tax cuts and stepped-up efforts to enforce immigration restrictions. Musk told CBS that the legislation was a “massive spending bill” that expands the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” said Musk. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
Musk’s interview with CBS was published on Tuesday night. Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump defended the legislation and his agenda, discussing the politics behind the negotiation of the bill.
“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” said the president, adding that further changes may be in the offing.
“We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”
Republicans recently passed the legislation in the House, and it’s under review in the Senate, where some Republicans share Musk’s concerns.
“I sympathize with Elon being discouraged,” Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson said.
Musk aimed at cutting $1 trillion in government spending, but he didn’t come close to that goal.
“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” the billionaire told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”
Musk’s criticism of Trump’s legislation comes as he puts his focus once again on his companies, such as electric carmaker Tesla and SpaceX, the rocket manufacturer. He has said that he will rein in his political spending.
“In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” he said earlier this month.
“I think I’ve done enough,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report