Elon Musk To Spend More Time With Tesla and Less With DOGE: How That Could Impact Your Wallet
Written by
Heather Altamirano
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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As head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk pledged to cut $2 trillion in excess spending, waste and fraud, but after just 100 days he’s scaling back his role. According to the DOGE website, Musk and his team have so far saved American taxpayers $165 billion, but due to “entrenched set of interests,” the progress has been constrained.
On Wednesday, April 30, Musk spoke from the White House and acknowledged DOGE’s accomplishments but said the advancements could be greater.
“I think we’ve been effective, not as effective as I’d like; I think we could be more effective, but we made progress,” he said, per ABC News.
While Musk has dedicated the majority of his time to DOGE, he will now work one or two days a week going forward. “We’re getting into more of a rhythm,” he said. “My guess is I’ll be in D.C. probably every other week.”
The shakeup comes on the heels of Tesla’s stock plunging 71%, leaving many to speculate his position at DOGE is changing to salvage his company. So what does this mean for DOGE and American’s wallets?
DOGE Could Experience a Lack of Direction and Leadership
Musk has said things are “manageable” at DOGE now and he’s set the team up well to move forward without his daily presence, but some experts don’t think it’s a good look and that things behind the scenes will be unstable.
“Musk’s reduced involvement with DOGE creates a significant leadership vacuum,” said money expert Andrew Lokenauth. “This kind of shift typically leads to organizational drift — especially when the leader has been as hands-on as Musk.”
As a result of Musk cutting his schedule way back, Lokenauth predicts there could be major issues within the agency that will require a complete restructure.
“The reduced oversight from top leadership often results in slower decision-making and decreased momentum,” he explained. “The DOGE team will likely struggle to maintain the aggressive pace Musk set.”
Confidence in DOGE Could Drop
Americans have mixed feelings over whether DOGE is actually doing good. But for those who support Musk’s efforts, him stepping away could sway their trust and “rattle some confidence,” according to Danny Ray, founder of PinnacleQuote, which helps Americans get life insurance.
“Americans are hoping that this agency isn’t just another shiny idea that fades when the spotlight moves,” Ray stated. “Musk shook the system, made folks uncomfortable in the right ways and pushed cost-cutting ideas into the mainstream.”
However, with Musk shifting his focus, the question is can DOGE stay on track without its biggest disruptor at the wheel?
Goals Will Likely Not Be Met
Musk initially said he wanted to slash $2 trillion in waste — and then reduced that amount to $1 trillion — but that goal isn’t likely if Musk isn’t at the forefront, per Lokenauth.
“Reaching those ambitious savings targets seems increasingly unlikely with reduced oversight. I’ve spent years working on government efficiency initiatives, and I can tell you that maintaining momentum is crucial — you can’t just set things in motion and step back,” he said.
Americans May See Less Savings
Musk’s robust involvement gave DOGE credibility for many, but now efforts and savings could slow down.
According to Lokenauth, “The original DOGE initiatives targeting government waste could’ve saved the average household roughly $3,000 annually in taxes.”
He explained, “With reduced oversight, I estimate those savings will drop to $500-$750 per household. That’s based on similar programs I’ve evaluated where leadership engagement decreased.”
Final Thoughts
Musk is vague on whether he’ll be replaced at DOGE. When asked if it’s a possibility, he responded, “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism?” per ABC News.
Without stable leadership, Lokenauth doesn’t believe Americans will see much savings.
“The timeline Musk’s proposing — just one to two days per week — isn’t enough to drive the kind of systemic change initially promised. I’ve never seen part-time leadership successfully execute this scale of transformation.”
Ray also believes DOGE needs to stay on course to succeed.
“Overall, the impact on your wallet depends on whether DOGE stays focused on trimming the fat, or becomes another government program with good intentions and bad follow-through.”
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Sources
- Andrew Lokenauth
- Danny Ray, PinnacleQuote
