Elon Musk Reflects on DOGE Leadership: "Somewhat Successful" But Wouldn't Repeat Experience

In a candid conversation with conservative influencer Katie Miller, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk reflected on his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), describing the endeavor as only "somewhat successful" and expressing that he would not repeat the experience given the opportunity.

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who additionally owns social media platform X, broadly defended President Donald Trump's controversial agency despite his personal reservations. Musk highlighted the significant challenges involved in rapidly reforming federal government operations and acknowledged the negative impact his DOGE involvement had on his business enterprises.

"We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful," Musk admitted during his appearance on Miller's podcast. Miller, who previously served as a DOGE spokesperson responsible for public relations, directly asked if he would undertake the role again.

Musk's response was clear: "I don't think so. ... Instead of doing DOGE, I would have, basically, built ... worked on my companies." He added poignantly, "They wouldn't have been burning the cars" - referencing protests against Tesla that occurred during his government service.

Despite these challenges, Musk's fortunes have significantly improved since departing from Trump's administration. Tesla shareholders recently approved a compensation package that could potentially make him the world's first trillionaire.

The interview took place on the "Katie Miller Podcast," hosted by Miller who transitioned to the private sector working for Musk after leaving her government position. She is married to Stephen Miller, a senior Trump adviser. Their wide-ranging conversation lasted over 50 minutes, covering topics from DOGE to artificial intelligence, social media dynamics, conspiracy theories, and fashion trends.

Miller's interview approach was notably gentle, avoiding pressing questions about DOGE's controversial operational methods and its takeover of federal agencies and data systems.

During the discussion, Musk claimed credit for the agency identifying potential annual savings of approximately $200 billion in "zombie payments," which he suggested could be eliminated through improved automated systems and federal payout coding. This figure, however, falls significantly short of Musk's earlier ambitious projections that suggested efficiency measures could yield savings in the trillions of dollars.