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Elon Musk’s DOGE staffers reportedly make eye-watering salaries despite the billionaire’s claims.
In case you missed it - Musk was appointed the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year after President Donald Trump made his return to the Oval Office.
While not technically a government department, it was said at the time of the agency’s announcement that the team would act as an outside advisor to the president on federal spending.
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As an unelected official, the Tesla boss’ new role has seen him hacking away at the federal budget in a bid to cut spending.
This has mostly been achieved by canceling contracts and making mass lay-offs.
Musk has also claimed that his team of staff are working for ‘zero’ compensation.
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In a WIRED report, it was stated that during the recruitment process for DOGE, Musk had claimed back in November 2024 that his staff would be required to carry out ‘tedious’ work with ‘zero dollars’ being offered in compensation.
However, that has found to not be the case after an investigation into the matter was conducted.
According to the report, several employees of DOGE are actually earning a lucrative six-figure salary paid for by taxpayers.
The LA Times has also reported that several key members of DOGE are being paid through the General Services Administration (GSA) with some of the highest earners making six figures.
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The investigation also discovered that DOGE’s budget has risen to $40 million.
And while Musk does claim to work for DOGE unpaid, it seems like the same can’t be said for his staff as the agency’s recruitment page now lists ‘full-time salaried positions’ for roles including specialists and engineers.
The world’s richest man has also seen his companies benefit from government support, receiving $38 billion in federal funding in the last 20 years.
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DOGE’s conduct in recent months has led to criticism from members of the public, resulting in boycotts of Tesla and even vandalism of Tesla showrooms.
Musk has also received criticism from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who shared his thoughts at this year’s Barcelona’s Talent Arena developers fair, which runs alongside the Mobile World Congress (MWC).
During a speech, Wozniak said: “I think that the skills required in politics are very different to those skills needed in technology companies.
“It does make sense to run a government like a business,” before adding, “I don’t see that happening in the case of Elon Musk.”