A group of billionaire tech executives, along with some followers of Peter Thiel, a significant Republican donor, are organizing to take unofficial roles within the U.S. government, all in the name of cutting costs.

Inside Elon Musk’s Plan for DOGE to Slash Government Costs

As President-elect Donald Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) prepares to target what it considers “wasteful” spending, it plans to place individuals with ties to co-leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy into various federal agencies.https://wordpress.com/

After the inauguration, these Silicon Valley-linked, idealistic recruits will be sent to Washington, tasked with reducing costs, much like Musk did at his social media company, X. The aim is for each major government agency to eventually have two DOGE representatives.

This story draws on interviews with a dozen sources familiar with DOGE’s operations, who spoke anonymously to The Times as they were not authorized to comment publicly.

As Trump’s presidency approaches, the structure of DOGE remains fluid and secretive. Those involved emphasize the importance of keeping things confidential, with much of their communication taking place on the encrypted messaging app, Signal.

Trump has promised that DOGE will drive “dramatic change,” offering external advice to curb unnecessary spending. While DOGE itself won’t have the power to implement cuts—that responsibility lies with Congress—its role will be to suggest areas where reductions could be made.

Some key aspects of the initiative are now becoming clearer: Many of the tech executives involved expect to work in the federal government for six months without pay before returning to their high-paying jobs. Musk has made it clear that no one will be compensated, a decision that has discouraged some potential recruits, and that those involved will be expected to work 80-hour weeks. Certain individuals, including possibly Musk himself, will be designated as “special government employees,” a category that limits them to working for the government for no more than 130 days in a 12-month period.

The recruits will be stationed across various federal agencies based on their areas of expertise. Some individuals have been selected due to their visibility on X, where DOGE has recently posted a call for a “small number” of full-time salaried positions, including engineers and back-office staff.

Most of the DOGE team, including paid engineers, is working out of a glass building in SpaceX’s downtown office, just a few blocks from the White House. Some close to Musk and Ramaswamy hope that DOGE’s engineers will leverage AI to identify cost-cutting opportunities.

The operation is largely run by Brad Smith, a healthcare entrepreneur and former top health official in Trump’s first White House, who is working closely with Steve Davis, a long-time collaborator of Musk’s. Davis is seen as a key figure in handling budgetary questions and other matters related to DOGE.

Other notable figures include Matt Luby, Ramaswamy’s chief of staff, and Rachel Riley, a McKinsey partner working closely with Smith. Legal matters related to DOGE are being handled by Chris Gober, Musk’s personal attorney, Steve Roberts, Ramaswamy’s lawyer, and James Burnham, a former Justice Department official.

Despite the substantial resources behind DOGE, many budget experts are skeptical about its ambitious cost-cutting goals. Musk had initially projected that the initiative could save up to $2 trillion from the federal budget of $6.75 trillion. However, experts argue that such cuts would likely require slashing major programs like Social Security and Medicare, which Trump has vowed not to touch.

Both Musk and Ramaswamy have recently adjusted their expectations for success. Ramaswamy emphasized on X that deregulation could be just as important as reducing the deficit, while Musk acknowledged that achieving $2 trillion in savings would be a best-case scenario, though he remains optimistic that they can still make significant progress.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding DOGE’s potential impact, its leaders remain committed to pushing for change, even if success is measured by factors other than just financial savings.