Meet Elon Musk’s Top Lieutenant Who Oversees DOGE

Elon Musk asserted last month that the federal government was engaged in “completely irrational” actions, alleging—without offering proof—that it had distributed $100 billion to individuals lacking Social Security numbers.

Just two days after Musk’s remarks, one of his key associates, Steve Davis, began pressing the Social Security Administration (SSA) for information. Davis directly contacted agency leaders, demanding that a young engineer from Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) be granted access to databases containing sensitive information about American citizens.

Davis’s request was “unprecedented,” according to Tiffany Flick, a former SSA official who provided a sworn statement this month in a lawsuit filed by federal employees seeking to block access to the data. She recounted that Davis grew visibly impatient as he awaited approval for the DOGE engineer to probe “the widely circulated myth of large-scale Social Security fraud.”

Deploying personnel into federal agencies is just one of the many tasks Davis has recently undertaken on Musk’s behalf, as the billionaire intensifies his sweeping efforts to reshape the U.S. government. Davis has consistently backed Musk’s initiatives—laying the foundation for budget reductions during the presidential transition, cutting diversity programs, engaging with lawmakers, and assisting in the distribution of a government-wide “Fork in the Road” email urging employees to resign.

These actions highlight Davis’s growing authority within DOGE. According to two individuals familiar with the matter, Davis, 45, now effectively serves as the agency’s day-to-day leader, wielding more influence than Amy Gleason, the Trump administration’s acting DOGE administrator. They noted that Gleason has, at times, been left out of Davis’s decision-making processes.

The path that led Davis to this position is no mystery. For over two decades, the engineer has been unwavering in his dedication to Musk’s vision, following him across his various enterprises, including the aerospace company SpaceX and the social media platform X. Interviews with 22 former colleagues, friends, and government officials suggest that Davis is deeply convinced that Musk is a driving force behind humanity’s advancement.

To Musk, Davis embodies the ideal employee—an engineer who will tackle any assignment, regardless of his expertise in the area, two former colleagues stated. Musk has particularly lauded Davis’s skill in eliminating inefficiencies, once comparing him to a cancer treatment.

“Steve is like chemotherapy,” Musk reportedly remarked during a transition meeting before President Trump’s term began. “A little chemo can save your life; too much can be lethal.”

Musk and Davis have forged a strong bond over cost-cutting measures. At SpaceX, Davis devised methods to manufacture rockets more affordably. He later managed mass layoffs at Twitter, which was rebranded as X. Now, at DOGE, he is coordinating a team of engineers and lawyers to identify $2 trillion in spending reductions—an ambitious goal Musk has vowed to achieve.

Inside Steve Davis: Elon Musk’s Key Ally in Government Efficiency

Davis’s loyalty to Musk extends to his personal life. Alongside his partner, Nicole Hollander, 42—who joined the General Services Administration to reduce federal real estate expenses—he has established an operational base on the agency’s sixth floor in Washington. The area is secured by a dedicated security team, according to three agency employees.

Adam Green, a progressive organizer who once befriended Davis while living in Washington, described him as a “creative, outside-the-box thinker” who has since transformed into a “blindly devoted servant” to Musk.

Neither Davis, Musk, Hollander, nor the White House responded to requests for comment.

Davis first began working for Musk in 2003, after being recruited from Stanford’s aeronautics graduate program. He became the 14th employee at SpaceX, quickly earning Musk’s favor by identifying ways to reduce production costs, such as designing a shuttle steering component for a fraction of its typical price.

However, his cost-cutting measures were not without setbacks. In 2007, Davis removed components from SpaceX’s Falcon 1 rocket that prevented fuel from sloshing inside, according to three former colleagues. The resulting imbalance caused the rocket to shut down mid-flight before reaching orbit.

By 2008, Davis had relocated to Washington and was later appointed SpaceX’s director of advanced projects. His responsibilities were extensive, including securing land in Boca Chica, Texas, which would later become the site of Starbase, SpaceX’s rocket launch facility.

Beyond his work at SpaceX, Davis pursued a PhD in economics and opened Mr. Yogato, a frozen yogurt shop that offered discounts to customers who answered trivia questions. He also joined the board of the Atlas Society, a nonprofit dedicated to the philosophy of libertarian author Ayn Rand.

In 2018, Musk appointed Davis as the head of The Boring Company, a startup focused on tunneling projects designed to alleviate urban congestion.

“There is almost no R&D in tunneling in America,” Davis stated in a company presentation that year. “So experimenting with new approaches is actually an advantage for us.”

The Boring Company successfully launched a tunnel in Las Vegas in 2021 but faced regulatory hurdles elsewhere. This frustrated Musk, who chastised Davis and even threatened to fire him, according to three individuals who had worked with him. The pressure took a toll on Davis, and five people close to him reported that he began pulling out his own hair due to stress.

Following Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022, Davis played a critical role in drastically reducing the company’s expenses. He set an internal goal of slashing more than $500 million, demonstrating such dedication that he, Hollander, and their newborn baby sometimes spent nights in Twitter’s San Francisco office.

Davis also supervised the installation of a private bathroom for Musk in Twitter’s headquarters, instructing an employee to bypass the usual construction permit process.

“We don’t have to follow the rules,” Davis reportedly said, according to a 2023 lawsuit filed by former Twitter employees who accused Musk and the company of breaching their employment contracts.

Some employees voiced concerns about Davis’s aggressive cost-cutting measures to Linda Yaccarino, who became CEO of X in 2023. Two sources familiar with the matter said staff urged her to rein him in. Shortly afterward, Davis departed from X.

When Musk campaigned for Trump in Pennsylvania during last year’s presidential race, Davis took up residence in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh hotels, overseeing a super PAC funded by Musk, according to three sources. Davis played a key role in devising a $47-per-person petition promoted by Musk to mobilize Trump supporters, touting his cost-cutting expertise at Twitter as a model for running the PAC efficiently.

Following Trump’s electoral victory, Davis joined the transition “landing team” and interviewed candidates for Musk’s proposed efficiency commission. He also engaged with various federal agencies to evaluate their technical talent for potential recruitment into DOGE, according to three government officials. Musk even referenced Davis in emails recruiting government personnel, as seen in an internal memo reviewed by The New York Times.

After Trump’s inauguration, Davis lobbied administration officials to allow him to email all government employees simultaneously, according to two sources. This resulted in the widely circulated “Fork in the Road” email in January, which presented a blanket resignation offer across the federal workforce.

When reports of the resignation email surfaced in the media, Davis reprimanded officials for failing to control their employees and accused them of embarrassing Musk, two individuals stated.

Davis remains a persistent advocate for Musk’s policy agenda in daily interactions with Trump’s advisers, according to two sources. He has flagged diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for elimination and identified individuals for removal from government boards.

Known for his direct—sometimes abrasive—communication style, Davis has clashed with Trump’s staff, particularly in late-night texts. His efforts to place DOGE recruits within the Pentagon reportedly frustrated some White House advisers, three individuals said.

Throughout all this, Davis has deliberately avoided public attention. Neither Musk nor the White House has acknowledged his role. In Washington, he had largely remained out of the spotlight—until this month, when he appeared at the DOGE Caucus, a congressional group collaborating with his cost-cutting task force.