Gambiaj.com – (Washington, D.C.) – Tech billionaire Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his controversial role in the Trump administration, marking the end of a turbulent 130-day stint as head of the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE). The departure, confirmed on Saturday after a major outage of the social media platform X, signals Musk’s retreat from formal government involvement to refocus on his private enterprises.

“Back to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and sleeping in conference rooms, servers and factories. I have to focus on X/XAI and Tesla (as well as the launch of Starship next week), because we deploy critical technologies,” Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, just hours after the platform experienced widespread disruptions.

Musk’s exit comes just days before his 130-day limit as a special government employee was set to expire on May 28, a statutory threshold requiring transparency and financial disclosures that he had so far avoided.

His short tenure was marked by sweeping proposals to slash federal spending and reduce the workforce—moves that sparked internal unrest and public backlash.

Tesla, one of Musk’s flagship companies, has seen sales decline amid growing dissatisfaction with his political entanglements.

Violent protests earlier this year targeted Tesla showrooms and charging stations across the country, and recent polls have shown steep drops in public perception of both Tesla and SpaceX.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Tesla’s board had begun informally exploring succession options, though the company denied those claims.

Musk attempted to allay investor fears in a May 20 interview on CNBC, insisting he would remain at the helm of Tesla for at least five more years.

Appointed in January by President Donald Trump, Musk quickly became a prominent figure in the administration, even maintaining an office at the White House and spending nights in the historic Lincoln Bedroom.

Though never a formal Cabinet member, Musk often stole the spotlight during high-level meetings and touted a close relationship with the president, calling them “good friends.”

Despite the optics of influence, Musk now appears eager to dial back his political engagement. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum last week, he said, “In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future. I think I’ve done enough.” Pressed further, he added, “If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”

Some GOP strategists believe Musk’s exit may be temporary. “He has the luxury of changing his mind at a moment’s notice,” said Republican strategist Brian Seitchik. “If he’s angry, irritated, or inspired, he could jump right back in.”

Others believe Musk’s retreat could ultimately benefit the party. “He became so toxic that the Democrats were just doing cartwheels,” said Brandon Scholz, a longtime Wisconsin Republican strategist, referencing Musk’s failed attempt to influence the state’s Supreme Court election in April. Despite injecting millions into the race and staging headline-grabbing appearances, the conservative candidate he backed lost to a liberal rival.

Republicans remain divided on Musk’s future role in conservative politics. While some welcome his financial contributions, others suggest that Trump can now step in to fill the fundraising void. “Trump can raise that type of money very quickly,” noted GOP strategist Ron Bonjean. “His efforts will offset Musk’s and probably eclipse it.”

For now, Musk is redirecting his attention to his sprawling tech empire, including Tesla, the X social media platform, the AI startup XAI, and SpaceX’s Starship project. Whether he will reenter the political arena remains to be seen—but few doubt his capacity to pivot.

With Le Monde and The Hill