Elon Musk says his time as a government employee is coming to an end and thanks Trump

• Elon Musk said he is stepping back from the White House and thanked President Donald Trump.

• Musk worked closely with the White House DOGE office's efforts to cut government spending.

• The Tesla and SpaceX CEO recently said he is back to "spending 24/7 at work."

The "first buddy" is standing down.

Elon Musk said Wednesday he plans to leave the Trump administration, ending his time at the White House DOGE office focused on cutting spending and reshaping the federal government.

The announcement came a day after Musk criticized President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" for undermining the White House DOGE team's work and adding to the deficit. The billionaire has also signaled he plans to focus more of his efforts on his companies and that he plans to reduce his political spending.

"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

A White House official confirmed that Musk's offboarding was beginning.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO previously said he would be stepping back from his government work in May. Musk was designated a "special government employee." Federal law stipulates that those with this title cannot serve for more than 130 days in a 365-day period.

The tech titan had been closely involved in the White House DOGE office's efforts to cut government spending and eliminate fraud and waste.

Musk has also recently said he spent "too much time" on politics this year and that he plans to cut back his political spending. The billionaire spent at least $277 million supporting Trump and the GOP in the 2024 election.

Musk said in an X post on Saturday that he was back to "spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms," to the relief of Tesla investors.

Tesla's share price has been on the rise since his announcement in April that he'd be stepping back from his White House work. The company had been targeted by boycotts and protests over its CEO's work with the White House DOGE office.

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