Elon Musk steps back from Washington: A controversial legacy at the Department of Government Efficiency

While Musk diverted attention to government functions, his crown jewel, Tesla, suffered. The maker of electric vehicles posted a 71% decline in year-over-year profits, even as worldwide EV sales increased. Industry observers attribute rising competition from Chinese automakers and Musk's polarising political positions as the prime reasons for Tesla's decline. During a recent investor call, Musk asserted, without proof, that protests against him were arranged by "those receiving the waste and fraud" from government initiatives.

2. Diving public support

Musk's popularity has plummeted, especially with Democrats and independents. A recent Marquette University poll indicated only 38% of Americans currently have a favourable view of Musk, while 60% have an unfavourable one. Once the poster child for innovation, Musk's political activism and inflammatory rhetoric have taken a toll on his public reputation.

3. Dubious budget cuts with questionable math

Musk vowed to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget. Though DOGE estimates $160 billion in savings on its website tracker, several reports indicate the number is exaggerated and filled with accounting mistakes. Some of the supposed cuts included money never spent. The absence of open auditing has created questions regarding whether Musk's effort brought about any meaningful fiscal changes whatsoever.

4. Becoming America's biggest political donor

Rather than embracing a technocratic style of reform, Musk became deeply entrenched in partisan politics. He has become the biggest Republican candidate donor in the 2024 election cycle, giving more than $291 million — close to $95 million more than the second-biggest GOP donor and four times the biggest Democratic contribution. His reach even went into judicial elections, such as a unsuccessful $20 million attempt to influence the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Since Trump's reelection, Musk has indicated intentions to go after GOP lawmakers who are not fully aligned with Trump's agenda, suggesting his exit from DOGE will not be an exit from political life.

5. Widespread data access raises surveillance issues

One of the most disturbing aspects of Musk's DOGE role is his team's access to an unprecedented amount of unclassified federal records. Under an executive order signed by President Trump, DOGE was cleared to access nearly all unclassified information possessed by federal agencies — a category that encompasses highly intimate information about Americans. Under a New York Times investigation, Musk's staff has accessed more than 300 categories of information, from Social Security numbers and immigration status to gambling earnings and professional references.

The scope of what Musk's DOGE operation collected — and how it may be utilised — is unknown, raising serious questions about data privacy and regulation in a politically charged climate.

Disruption without accountability

As Musk leaves Washington to return to his business empire, the disruption trail he leaves behind is greater than transformative. Budget savings promised linger as unverifiable, government employees were left demoralised by chaotic reforms, and his data gathering activities have raised concern among privacy advocates.

For a man who made a career on innovation, Musk's venture into government efficiency has left a quite different legacy: a cautionary tale of how private power, unchecked and unaccountable, can remake public institutions — often for the worse.