Musk and his allies in the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) are harnessing tech — from artificial intelligence (AI) to mysterious servers — while taking a sledgehammer to federal spending and introducing modernized systems.
The “move things fast and break things” approach is reminiscent of Musk’s leadership at his other companies, notably X, where the billionaire, surrounded by a group of loyal deputies, slashed programs and fired employees he deemed unnecessary.
Musk’s leadership style, described by critics as reckless and by allies as intense, is central to his polarizing influence in the tech world.
Now, he’s bringing that attitude to Washington as Trump tasks him with leading efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
"Because there's such energy behind different initiatives, it seems like they're willing not just to go fast and break things, but to shake things up and go until you're told, 'No,'" said Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University.
The tech leader’s execution of the DOGE task force mimics many of the steps he took after purchasing the social media platform X, then known as Twitter, in 2022.
The chaotic takeover was marked by the quick firings of top executives, a reduction in at least half of the company’s workforce and a rollback of some policies, often regardless of how the shift could impact the company.
In an email in 2022, Musk encouraged company employees to leave or commit to being “extremely hardcore." The subject line was “A Fork in the Road.”
Nearly two years later, hundreds of thousands of federal employees received emails this week with the same “Fork in the Road” subject line that offered a deferred resignation, promising staffers would retain their full salary and benefits without working through Sept. 30.
“The subject title…he didn’t even bother to change it at all, and it was on purpose too, like a f--- you,” one federal employee who received the email told The Hill on the condition of anonymity.
Like with his X takeover, Musk has installed a tight-knit team of allies to orchestrate DOGE’s campaign. Many of these staffers are young adults with ties to his other companies, but little to no prior government work.
Read more in a full report this weekend at TheHill.com.
