Musk and Ramaswamy won't be paid to lead new Department of Government Efficiency, Musk says
Elon Musk said he and Vivek Ramaswamy will not be paid for leading the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk, the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder, and Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, were appointed to lead the new department, deemed DOGE for short, by President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Musk shared the compensation news in a response to a post made on his platform, X, by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who derided the department's dual-leadership as an inefficiency itself.
"Unlike you, neither of us are being paid, so it is very efficient indeed," Musk said. "(The Department of Government Efficiency) will do great things for the American people. Let history be the judge."
A Trump-Vance transition spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY that Musk and Ramaswamy will not receive compensation for the positions.
What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
What is the Department of Government Efficiency?
In a statement shared by Musk on X, Trump said he plans for the Department of Government Efficiency to "provide advice and guidance from outside of government," working with the White House and Office of Management and Budget "to drive large-structural reform."
If DOGE were to exist within the federal government, Congress would need to approve its creation as a new official government agency.
Top 1% of applicants to be reviewed for roles in DOGE
A verified X account for the department (@DOGE) has been created and as of Thursday afternoon, the account had more than 1.1 million followers.
Of three posts made, as of Thursday afternoon, the most recent requested "super high-IQ-small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week" to apply for a role in DOGE.
"DM this account with your CV. Elon and Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants," the post states.
Though the DOGE account is verified and has reposted content from Musk, it is unclear who manages the account.
Musk announced that all DOGE actions will be "posted online for maximum transparency."
"Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know!" Musk said in a post. "We will also have a leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining."
Internet weighs in on DOGE
Many users have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the Department of Government Efficiency.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott shared his support for DOGE.
"This is great news," Scott wrote on X. "As Senate Majority Leader, I will work with President Trump, (Elon Musk) and (Vivek Ramaswamy) to codify the Department of Government Efficiency ASAP."
Scott is not the Senate majority leader. Republican John Thune of South Dakota was elected for the role on Wednesday.
Others aren't so sure, commenting on the humor of appointing two leaders to a department dedicated to "efficiency."
Tahmineh Dehbozorgi, a litigation fellow at The Institute for Justice, shared her thoughts on X: "The most inefficient thing about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is having two co-chairs."
Dave Jorgenson, a reporter at The Washington Post, shared a screenshot of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) from "The Office," sitting shoulder-to-shoulder during a popularly-recognized on-camera interview.
"You will both be co-managers of the Department of Government Efficiency," Jorgenson wrote.
This story was updated to clarify President-elect Trump's stated plan for DOGE to exist "outside of government."
Jonathan Limehouse contributed to this reporting.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy won't be paid to lead DOGE, Musk says