Just a few days after the triumph of Donald Trump in the United States presidential elections, the names of the cabinet members who will be part of the president’s team starting on January 20, when he takes office, are beginning to be known.
The name that generates the most controversy is that of Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, who will lead a new entity called the Department of Government Efficiency, "DOGE."
The task of the magnate in the Trump administration will be to develop strategies that allow for the reduction of bureaucracy and public spending in the United States, just as he did with his company X (formerly Twitter) where he reduced the platform's staff by almost 50%.
Musk will lead an ambitious project that seeks to restructure the government apparatus alongside the Republican businessman and politician Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump has already made the new position of Donald Trump official
Through a statement, the president-elect, Donald Trump, announced the creation of the new department.
"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, reduce excessive regulations, cut unnecessary spending, and restructure federal agencies," Trump said in a statement.
At the moment, the functioning of this role for Musk is not clear, as he has government contracts and could potentially create conflicts of interest.
According to comments from Trump during his campaign, Musk "would provide advice and guidance from outside the government."
Trump's strategy for DOGE involves the department closely collaborating with the Office of Management and Budget to carry out a reform in the public sector. If implemented, this reorganization would also transform the regulation of sectors such as automotive and aerospace, something crucial for the magnate who heads Tesla and SpaceX.
"As a first order of business, this commission will develop an action plan to completely eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months," he said in September. "This will save billions of dollars."
The work of this new entity would end in mid-July 2026, said the new President of the United States in another statement a few days ago.
"A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift for the United States on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I am sure they will succeed!" he added.
It is also not clear whether Musk will be full-time or an advisor. There are details to be clarified such as the South African's salary and the conflicts of interest that would exist with his companies.
Which companies can generate conflicts of interest?
On the other hand, the person born in South Africa has not clarified how he will continue his roles in his companies with this new appointment.
Currently, Musk heads Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, X, and Starlink, with over a million employees.
Some of those companies have contracts with the United States government and others could potentially enter into a severe conflict of interest.