Elon Musk abused his DOGE gig to benefit himself, Tesla, and his other companies more than 100 times, Elizabeth Warren's office says

Business Insider

2 days ago

US Senator Elizabeth Warren is criticizing Elon Musk's work in the White House this year as a vast enrichment campaign for the world's richest person.
Warren's office released a letter on Tuesday which said the billionaire CEO used his role as a " special government employee" to benefit himself and his businesses.
The letter outlined 130 instances, which Warren said suggest that Musk and his businesses gained from his role in the Department of Government Efficiency.
The letter says that some of the actions explicitly violated rules that prevent federal employees from participating in matters where they have a financial interest, the report said, though some of Musk's actions have simply broken norms for government employees.
"In many cases, Musk has violated norms at an astonishing pace, contributing to the Trump Administration actions that have benefitted his private interests while hurting the American public —- scandalous behavior regardless of whether it subjects him to criminal prosecution," the report, which was published by Warren's office, said.
DOGE has said that its mission is to make the government more efficient and transparent, with the goal of saving taxpayers' money by eliminating wasteful spending. It estimates to have saved the government $180 billion so far.
Here are some of the ways Musk benefited from his work with DOGE, according to Warren's letter:
Government contracts. Some of Musk's businesses obtained "new lucrative contracts" with federal agencies after President Donald Trump re-entered the White House. In some cases, Musk's companies are reportedly being considered for deals, or informal arrangements that would benefit Musk's firms over competitors.
Some of Musk's family members, like his brother, Kimbal Musk, have also struck deals for their respective businesses after Musk assumed his role in DOGE.
Ending regulatory actions. Before Trump entered the White House, Musk's companies faced over $2.3 billion in potential liabilities from pending regulatory actions. But many of those actions have since "stalled or been dismissed," the report said, pointing to several closed investigations and dropped suits against Musk's companies this year.
DOGE has also issued steep budget cuts at some agencies that oversee Musk's businesses, like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Policy changes. Some agencies also issued policy changes in recent months that appeared to benefit Musk's firms.
The report outlined recent decisions from agencies like the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Securities and Exchange Commission that helped several projects across Musk's companies.
Special access to information. Musk had access to government meetings, classified info, and other data that could have potentially benefitted his companies, the report said.
Influence over government workers. Musk has selected key personnel and placed them in agencies that could benefit his companies. During his time in DOGE, several SpaceX workers, investors, and other representatives for the company were nominated for roles in the government.
Musk has not filed his financial disclosure form detailing potential conflicts of interest for government employees.
"Elon Musk has done more to improve the lives of Americans and strengthen this country in just over 100 days than Sen. Warren has achieved in her over 10-year career. The Senator excels at producing toothless reports that waste paper and will be read by no one, even if paid to. The President's success through DOGE is undisputed, and his work will continue to yield historic results," Harrison Fields, a spokesperson for the White House, told Business Insider in a statement.
SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI, which were among Musk's companies mentioned in the report, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.
Warren has criticized Musk's conduct in the past, raising concerns in recent years about potential conflicts of interest as the CEO expanded his business empire. Last year she asked Trump to create conflict-of-interest rules for Musk, and said in a letter that Musk working in the White House without any rules was an "invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes."
Meanwhile, Musk has been critical of the GOP budget bill in recent days. He's described Trump's "big, beautiful bill" as an abomination. He said the bill would add to the deficit and undermine the work DOGE has done.