Elon Musk’s role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has come to an end, but not without making a significant impact on government spending. During his time, Musk focused on identifying and eliminating wasteful spending across various government agencies. His efforts have reportedly saved over $5 million a year by uncovering instances where agencies were paying for far more software licenses than they needed.
For instance, the IRS had purchased 3,000 software licenses but only used 25. After DOGE’s intervention, the IRS cut down on these unnecessary costs by eliminating 99% of the licenses. This kind of waste was not unique to the IRS; other agencies, like the Department of Labor, reduced unused software licenses by 68%, and the Securities and Exchange Commission cut 78% of its remote desktop software programs, as they were only utilizing 22% of them.
Musk’s team conducted audits to reveal that many agencies had more software licenses than employees, with many licenses remaining idle. This trend was highlighted in a post shared by DOGE, which noted that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) was paying for 37,000 licenses for a file compression program, despite having only 13,000 employees.
Overall, DOGE’s initiatives have led to about $175 billion in savings, which includes asset sales, contract cancellations, and cuts in fraudulent payments. Musk expressed confidence that these savings could reach $1 trillion over the coming years, benefiting taxpayers significantly. Each taxpayer could see a return of about $1,087 due to these efficiency measures.
As Musk steps down from his role, he leaves behind a legacy of increased scrutiny on government spending. He emphasized that the influence of DOGE will continue to grow, likening its approach to a lifestyle that permeates government operations, aiming for long-term reductions in waste and fraud.