Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has officially stepped down from his role as a 'Special Government Employee' in the Trump administration, a move he announced on Thursday following ongoing public demonstrations. Musk expressed his appreciation to US President Donald Trump for the chance to help reduce excessive government spending, stating on X that, "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

Just a day earlier, Musk shared that he was back to working “24/7,” sleeping in conference rooms as he returned to the corporate world after his government stint, according to CNN. His well-known preference for what he calls “extremely hardcore” work ethics is proving useful now as he manages several struggling companies simultaneously. Tesla is experiencing declining sales, and the much-anticipated Cybertruck is turning out to be a significant letdown. Meanwhile, Musk admitted that the social media platform X requires "major operational improvements" following a massive outage over the weekend. That glitch occurred less than two weeks after the xAI’s Grok system stirred controversy by pushing conspiracy theories about “White genocide.” Adding to the list of troubles, Musk’s latest multi-billion-dollar SpaceX launch ended with its Starship rocket breaking apart over the Indian Ocean, as CNN also reported.

Investors seem encouraged by Musk’s return to his primary business roles, with Tesla shares jumping 25% in the last month. However, this boost still leaves Tesla’s stock well below its peak from December. The renewed investor confidence hinges on Musk’s ability to address Tesla’s challenges, including his promise to debut a self-driving robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in the coming weeks.

During a video message released Tuesday, Musk expressed concern over Trump’s aggressive tax and spending cuts proposal, saying he believes it would widen the US budget deficit and undercut efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency. CNN quoted Musk as saying, "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." He also commented, "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both."

As Musk exits his formal government role, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to continue its work. The team will stay embedded across various federal agencies for months or even years, ensuring that the mission Musk championed does not lose momentum.