Multi-billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have been selected to head Donald Trump's proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the President-elect announced Tuesday.
Musk, the world's richest man who played a major role in Trump's winning campaign, and Ramaswamy, a former GOP rival for the nomination who became a key supporter, will bring successful private sector backgrounds to address public fiscal policy.
"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump said in a statement.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and the controversial owner of X (formerly Twitter) joined the Trump campaign down the stretch and brought his wealth and expertise to the team. He ran a $1 million a day giveaway to register voters that brought lawsuits.
Musk was rewarded with a newly created position and department of DOGE, which could give Musk an opportunity to take an axe to the government red tape he has long complained about. He and his companies have been frequent targets of federal agencies.
Because Musk has his hands full with his private enterprises, Ramaswamy is likely to play a significant role in the operations of DOGE. His outsider GOP campaign struck a chord with fiscal conservatives who have long called for a more business-like approach to government.
"(DOGE) will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before," Trump said.
