Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink CEO Elon Musk announced during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday the projected savings the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to deliver next year for U.S. taxpayers by reducing government waste.
Speaking in the West Wing’s Cabinet Room before the president’s top officials, Musk stated that DOGE is on track to save $150 billion in fiscal year 2026.
“Thanks to your fantastic leadership, this amazing Cabinet and the very talented DOGE team, I’m excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion,” Musk said, as DailyMail.com reported.
He went on to note that several government programs his DOGE team has discovered are “absurd” and “crazy.”
“Like people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet,” he said.
Despite the staggering amount projected to be saved next fiscal year, the estimate falls well short of the group’s original target for cutting federal payroll expenses.
WATCH:
Elon Musk at The White House Cabinet Meeting on @DOGE: “People ask me ‘How are you going to find waste and fraud in the government?’ — Actually you just go in any direction.. that’s how you find it.. as the military would say, target rich environment.” pic.twitter.com/wHtTaFhoyd
— America (@america) April 10, 2025
Elon Musk initially aimed to eliminate $2 trillion in waste, fraud, and abuse. He later revised that figure, describing it as a “best-case outcome” and said his realistic goal is closer to $1 trillion—still significantly higher than current projections.
Still, saving the U.S. $150 billion in just a few months is a remarkable achievement—one that every American stands to benefit from through the individual savings it generates.
According to the DOGE website, the initiative has already saved each taxpayer $931.
“People ask me, like, well, how are you going to find waste, fraud and abuse in the federal in the government? I’m like, well, actually, just go in any direction,” Musk told the Cabinet and the president. “That’s how you find it. It’s very common. It’s, as military would say, a target rich environment.”
The SpaceX CEO also praised the efforts of each Cabinet member, crediting them with helping his team uncover savings across every federal agency. He assured the president that the cuts “will actually result in better services for the American people.”
Democrats, however, contend that DOGE has slashed vital services and that its staff has accessed the private data of millions of Americans.
Liberal lawmakers and activists worldwide have condemned and protested Musk’s role in the Trump administration.
Earlier this month, DOGE announced the elimination of $51 million in grants funding unusual projects such as shea butter marketing, mango drying, and yogurt production in Africa.
The cost-cutting agency highlighted the questionable spending in a post on X, stating, “The US African Development Foundation has terminated $51M in grants.”
DOGE’s post also highlighted specific projects previously funded by the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), a Congress-created agency established in 1980 to support direct investments in African businesses and entrepreneurs.
Among the grants eliminated were nearly $230,000 for promoting 100% organic shea butter in Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest nations, and $84,000 for a spa and wellness business incubator in Nigeria. A $240,000 grant for pineapple juice marketing in Benin was also cut.
Other canceled awards included nearly $100,000 to boost yogurt production in Uganda, close to $50,000 for a WhatsApp marketing chatbot in Kenya, and $50,000 for teaching Senegalese farmers to cultivate dragon fruit.
Last week, Vice President J.D. Vance dismissed reports that Trump was unhappy with Musk’s role at DOGE and that Musk was planning to leave the administration for that reason.
“First of all, that report I saw was total fake news,” Vance said in a Fox News interview, referring to a Politico article claiming Trump had privately told cabinet members that Musk would soon be “stepping back.”
Vance clarified that Musk was brought on as a special advisor for a six-month initiative aimed at streamlining government operations and reducing bureaucracy. A White House special advisor role comes with a 130-day limit, which is set to expire in late May or early June. However, Vice President Vance said Elon Musk would continue to advise the administration even after that period ends.
“We said that’s going to take about six months, and that’s what Elon signed up for, but of course, he’s going to continue to be an advisor,” the vice president told the outlet, adding that the DOGE effort would go on even after Musk’s departure.
