Musk, Ramaswamy Seek Volunteers to Join New Department of Government Efficiency

‘Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lots of enemies, and compensation is zero,’ Musk said.

Featured Picture : Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at a rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

On November 14, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy announced that they are seeking volunteers to join the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They are calling for the top 1% of small-government advocates to apply.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in joining DOGE,” the duo shared on the social media platform X. “However, we don’t need part-time thinkers. We need highly intelligent, small-government revolutionaries who are ready to work 80+ hours a week on practical, no-frills cost-cutting initiatives. If that sounds like you, send us a direct message with your CV. Elon and Vivek will personally review the top 1% of applicants.”

Musk further clarified that work with DOGE would be unpaid, posting on X, “Indeed, this will be tedious, make lots of enemies, and there’s no compensation. What a great deal!”

In reply, Ramaswamy added, “This is a stark contrast to the many government bureaucrats who: (a) do little or no work, (b) only tell people what they want to hear, and (c) earn more money than the value they create.”

The mission of DOGE is reflected in its name: to streamline government operations and achieve significant reductions in spending, which is a key priority for the initiative.

In a statement on November 12, Donald Trump expressed his support for the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), saying, “I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with a focus on efficiency while improving life for all Americans. Most importantly, we will eliminate the massive waste and fraud that plagues our $6.5 trillion in annual government spending. Together, they will work to free up our economy and hold the U.S. government accountable to ‘WE THE PEOPLE.'”

Musk, in a post on X, confirmed that all DOGE activities would be made publicly available to ensure “maximum transparency.” This will include a leaderboard highlighting the “most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars,” which he described as “both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining.”

Musk also encouraged the public to speak out about any cuts they believe could impact important programs.

Trump referred to the initiative as potentially “‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time.”

The call for volunteers came after Musk’s September announcement that he was willing to work without compensation. “I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk posted on X. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.”

DOGE will collaborate with the Office of Management and Budget and is tasked with completing its work by July 4, 2026, marking America’s 250th anniversary.

“Either we make government efficient, or America goes bankrupt. That’s what it comes down to. I wish I were wrong, but it’s true,” Musk wrote on X in response to Trump’s official announcement on November 12.