In a post on X, the social media platform he owns, Musk expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for the opportunity to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency—nicknamed “Doge.”

Although his role was temporary and limited to 130 working days per year, Musk’s departure comes just one day after he publicly criticized Trump’s new budget bill, which includes sweeping tax cuts and increased defense spending.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President DonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote. “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Musk, who originally pledged to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget, later lowered that goal significantly, ultimately aiming for $150 billion. His aggressive cuts led to approximately 260,000 job losses across the 2.3 million-strong federal workforce. Some layoffs were later overturned by court rulings, and in rare cases, even critical staff—such as those in the nuclear program—were mistakenly dismissed.

Also Read: US and Russia clash in public as the Ukraine war heats up

In an interview earlier this week, Musk voiced concern over Trump’s budget, warning it would balloon the federal deficit and undermine the goals of Doge. “I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful," he said. "But I don’t know if it could be both.”

Musk s tenure was marked by internal clashes with Trump administration officials and mounting criticism over the fallout from the Doge initiative. In late April, he announced plans to refocus on leading his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX.

“Doge is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” Musk said in an interview with the Washington Post in Texas, ahead of a SpaceX launch. “Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it.”