- Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, is officially an employee of the US federal government.
- The White House confirmed his employment on Monday. He will not receive a paycheck.
- Musk is a “special government employee,” a role that’s not supposed to last for more than 130 days.
Elon Musk is officially an employee of the United States federal government.
A White House spokesman confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that the Tesla and SpaceX founder is a “special government employee” and will not receive a paycheck for his service.
The government has historically used the “special government employee” classification for temporary workers who bring a particular expertise but do not intend to be employed permanently.
Special government employees are not subject to the ethics and conflicts of interest rules that government employees typically encounter. Musk’s companies, particularly Tesla and SpaceX, have benefited significantly from government contracts.
According to federal law, special government employees cannot serve for more than 130 days in a 365-day period.
Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” is also part of the federal government — President Donald Trump’s signed an executive order on his first day in office renaming the United States Digital Service to the “United States DOGE Service.”
In recent days, Musk and his DOGE team have taken aim at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), with Musk calling for the agency to be shuttered.
On Monday, employees were told that the building would be closed and staffers would be required to work from home, spurring outcry from Democratic lawmakers.
Read the full article here
