Musk On DOGE Efforts: ‘We’re Not the Dictators of Government, We are the Advisors’

Tesla CEO and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) figurehead Elon Musk says that cutting costs, waste and fraud is dependent upon the government, including Congress, acting upon the DOGE team’s advice.

Speaking virtually at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk reported that the DOGE team was set loose four months ago to uncover waste and fraud and to advise how to best eliminate up to a trillion dollars of government spending.

Musk maintains that, between mass layoffs, data analyst and program spending cuts, DOGE has reduced government spending by roughly $160 billion.

However, Musk is quick to point out that his team’s effort cannot succeed without Congress and the Executive branch following the advice of DOGE.

🚨 Elon Musk on DOGE:

“The ability of Doge to operate is a function of whether the government, and this includes the Congress, is willing to take our advice. We are not the dictators of the government. We are the advisors, and so we can, we can advise, and the progress we’ve… pic.twitter.com/9RrK2rCxK2

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) May 20, 2025

Musk reiterated that while his team has made incredible progress in the past 4 months, they are not the ultimate authority.

“We are not the dictators of the government. We are the advisors, and so we can, we can advise, and the progress we’ve made thus far, I think, is incredible,” Musk stated.

The Tesla CEO also praised DOGE efforts, saying that, even as advisors, the DOGE team “to their credit, has made incredible progress.”

CNBC reports that Musk has signaled that his time as the head of DOGE may be drawing to a close, giving the entrepreneur more time to focus on his businesses like Tesla, which has struggled amidst growing media backlash against its CEO, his businesses and DOGE.

Musk told the Qatar Economic Forum that he intends to be the Tesla CEO five years from now.

The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that Tesla board members were seeking a new CEO to succeed Musk.

That report was categorically denied by Tesla board Chair Robyn  Denholm.