If DOGE is serious about cutting government waste, it should start by slashing the billions in taxpayer subsidies flowing straight into Elon Musk’s pocket.
Elon Musk has been the self-proclaimed warrior against government waste. He is running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) while claiming his new job requires cutting trillions in federal spending, rooting out corruption, and putting an end to wasteful subsidies. This was music to our ears when we first heard about it.
But there’s just one small problem: DOGE’s biggest budget cut could start with Elon himself.
Musk’s companies—Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity—have raked in billions of taxpayer dollars over the years, yet we aren’t hearing a peep from him about slashing those handouts. In fact, Tesla alone has received nearly $3.3 billion in government subsidies, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
According to multiple sources, Musk has suckled at the government teat to the tune of $18 billion in just the last 10 years.
The Government’s Favorite Billionaire
Musk’s companies have benefited from a steady stream of federal contracts, state subsidies, and tax breaks for years. Here are just a few highlights:
- $2.89 billion NASA contract for SpaceX in 2021
- $653 million U.S. Air Force contract in 2020
- $750 million in New York state funds for a SolarCity plant in 2016
- $1.3 billion in Nevada tax breaks for Tesla’s Gigafactory in 2014
- $465 million Energy Department loan to Tesla in 2010
And while Musk loves to rail against “government interference,” he doesn’t seem too keen on rejecting the billions of dollars keeping his companies afloat.
"We Don’t Need Government Money… But We’ll Take It"
Musk’s hypocrisy is most evident in his own words. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the economy, he tweeted:
"Another government stimulus package is not in the best interests of the people imo."
Sounds principled, right? Well, Tesla quietly accepted pandemic relief funds anyway.
To put this into perspective, just last year, Tesla reported $1.1 billion in net income for Q1 2024—$442 million of which came from federal carbon credits. That's right, nearly half of the entire quarter's earnings came from the pocket of the US taxpayer — not capitalism.
So while Musk plays the part of a free-market champion, he’s still milking the system just like every other crony capitalist.
A Real Test for DOGE
If DOGE is truly about eliminating waste and reducing federal spending, the first cut should be to Musk’s own corporate welfare. No more subsidies, no more tax credits, no more special treatment. Let his companies stand on their own, without billions in government cash propping them up.
Will Musk actually go after his own handouts? Or will he continue posing as a government-cutting crusader while quietly stuffing his pockets with taxpayer dollars?
Musk Deserves Credit, But Not a Free Pass
To be fair, Musk has done some good—from pushing for free speech on X.com to exposing government abuses. But if we’re serious about fighting government corruption and cronyism, he should face the same scrutiny as everyone else.
Otherwise, we risk sleepwalking into a technocratic police state, handing Musk the reins while we cheer him on, blind to the fact that he’s just replacing one corrupt system with another—where he sits comfortably at the top.
If Musk truly wants to prove that DOGE isn’t just a smokescreen, he can start by cutting his own taxpayer-funded empire.
