Elon Musk has stated that he and Vivek Ramaswamy will not receive any pay for directing the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.

Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and the founder of SpaceX, alongside Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and ex-Republican presidential hopeful, were appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to lead this new department, referred to as DOGE.

On Wednesday, Musk revealed this information about their lack of salary in a reply to a post on his platform, X, where Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the department’s co-leadership as a sign of inefficiency.

“Unlike you, neither of us is being paid, making it quite efficient indeed,” Musk replied. “(The Department of Government Efficiency) is set to accomplish remarkable things for the American populace. Let history be the one to decide.”

A spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition confirmed to YSL News that neither Musk nor Ramaswamy will be compensated for their roles.

What does the Department of Government Efficiency entail?

The Department of Government Efficiency aims to “offer insights and guidance from outside of government,” collaborating with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget “to implement significant structural changes,” as stated by Trump in a statement Musk shared on X. This department’s operations will be finalized by July 4, 2026.

It is yet to be determined whether DOGE will function as a formal governmental entity or as an external advisory group, as the creation of a new official governmental office requires Congressional approval.

Top 1% of candidates will be considered for positions in DOGE

A verified X account for the department (@DOGE) has been set up and, by Thursday afternoon, it had garnered over 1.1 million followers.

Among the three posts released by the account, the latest called for “high-IQ, small-government revolutionaries willing to commit to 80+ hours a week” to apply for jobs in DOGE.

“Direct message this account with your resume. Elon and Vivek will evaluate the top 1% of candidates,” stated the post.

Although the DOGE account is verified and has shared content from Musk, it’s unclear who oversees it.

Musk noted that all actions related to DOGE will be “publicly posted for full transparency.”

“Anytime the public believes we are eliminating something worthwhile or not cutting wasteful expenses, just notify us!” Musk commented in a post. “We will also maintain a leaderboard on the most absurd spending of taxpayer money. This should be both notably tragic and highly entertaining.”

Public reaction to DOGE

Numerous users have taken to social media to express their views about the Department of Government Efficiency.

Senator Rick Scott from Florida expressed his approval of DOGE.

“This is wonderful news,” Scott posted on X. “As Senate Majority Leader, I will collaborate with President Trump, (Elon Musk), and (Vivek Ramaswamy) to formalize the Department of Government Efficiency as soon as possible.”

Scott is not, in fact, the Senate Majority Leader. Republican John Thune from South Dakota was appointed to the position on Wednesday.

Others have raised questions, highlighting the irony of appointing two leaders to a department focused on “efficiency.”

Tahmineh Dehbozorgi, a litigation fellow at The Institute for Justice, pointed out on X: “The greatest inefficiency in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is having two co-chairs.”

Dave Jorgenson, a reporter for The Washington Post, shared a humorous screenshot from “The Office” featuring Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) sitting close together during a well-known scene.

“You two will both be co-managers of the Department of Government Efficiency,” Jorgenson commented.