Elon Musk Clarifies: Not Exiting DOGE Department, Just Reducing Time Commitment

Elon Musk has clarified rumors about his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), stating on April 23, 2025, that he is not exiting the initiative but merely reducing his time commitment as the department becomes fully operational. The update comes amid speculation about Musk’s influence on U.S. government policy and its potential impact on the crypto market.

April 23, 2025 – Elon Musk took to X on April 23, 2025, to address speculation surrounding his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a U.S. government initiative aimed at streamlining federal operations. In a post replying to a user’s query, Musk stated, “Not exiting DOGE department, just reducing time allocation since DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is now up and running.” The clarification follows months of debate over Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration’s efficiency drive and its broader implications for the cryptocurrency sector, particularly Dogecoin (DOGE), which shares the department’s acronym.

The Department of Government Efficiency, often abbreviated as DOGE, was established by executive order on January 20, 2025, under President Donald Trump’s administration, with Musk initially named as a senior advisor. According to a Wikipedia entry on the department, DOGE is not an official government agency but a temporary advisory body tasked with identifying and eliminating wasteful federal spending. Musk’s role has been controversial, with critics raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, as well as his vocal support for Dogecoin, a meme-based cryptocurrency he has frequently promoted.

Musk’s influence on Dogecoin has been well-documented. His past tweets have often triggered significant price movements, such as in May 2021 when a single tweet about Dogecoin led to a 30% price surge within hours, per CoinGecko historical data. On April 23, 2025, Dogecoin (DOGE) saw a modest uptick following Musk’s clarification, rising 2.8% to $0.142, with a market cap of $20.8 billion, according to CoinGecko.