Elon Musk - Head of the Department for Government Efficiency

At the end of May 2025, Elon Musk also bid farewell to his government role as Special Government Employee in charge of DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency. His time in the White House had begun with great ambitions: to reform the federal bureaucracy, cut waste and simplify procedures. Trump had presented him as the right man to 'drain the swamp' in Washington. The patron of Tesla and SpaceX had promised savings of up to $1 trillion, but at the end of his term the budget stopped at $175 billion, a figure disputed by several analysts. His departure came without formal conflict: his temporary tenure had expired and was not renewed. However, tensions with Trump had already emerged in the previous months, with clashes over tariffs and industrial policies. Musk had become increasingly critical of the administration's protectionist line, going so far as to openly polemicise via social media. The White House, while celebrating his contribution, did not hide some relief at his exit. Musk, for his part, thanked for the opportunity, but reiterated his vision of a lean and technologically advanced state.