Elon Musk is serving as a ‘special government employee,’ White House says
CNN
Elon Musk is officially serving under President Donald Trump as a special government employee, according to a White House official.
Elon Musk is officially serving under President Donald Trump as a special government employee, according to a White House official. That designation means Musk – the billionaire tech entrepreneur who has been a force within the new Trump administration – is not a volunteer but also not a full-time federal employee. According to a Justice Department summary, a special government employee is “anyone who works, or is expected to work, for the government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.” Musk is not being paid, a person familiar with his employment told CNN. Musk, who is the world’s richest man and became an ardent supporter of Trump’s during the campaign, has an office on the White House campus. Within weeks of Trump taking office, Musk has shown he has a broad mandate to carry out his government efficiency initiative known as DOGE. On Monday, Trump confirmed Musk has access to the Treasury Department’s critical payment system, which sends out money on behalf of the entire federal government. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was inside the Oval Office as Trump commented on Musk’s purview. “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval. And we’ll give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won’t,” the president said.
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