Elon Musk's first three months as a special government employee for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) involved intense work to address U.S. government inefficiencies, while also enjoying unique privileges like staying in the White House's Lincoln bedroom and having late-night ice cream. Musk claims to have saved U.S. taxpayers over $160 million and expressed pride in the progress made, despite facing significant negative media coverage. His role at DOGE, largely voluntary, allowed him to work closely with President Trump, contributing to the investigation of wasteful government spending and fraud cases referred to the DOJ. Despite the challenges, Musk reflects positively on the experience, likening DOGE to a way of life, and plans to continue his involvement, albeit with reduced frequency. The DOGE team, composed of fewer than 100 employees, continues to receive scrutiny and praise for its efforts in reforming government operations and reducing wasteful expenditures.

Elon Musk's role as a special government employee allowed him to work up to 130 days a year, during which he focused on launching the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to tackle government inefficiencies.

During his tenure, Musk claimed to have saved taxpayers more than $160 million and expressed a desire to continue working one to two days a week or every other week, as long as President Trump desires his involvement.

Musk enjoyed personal privileges such as staying in the Lincoln bedroom and indulging in Häagen-Dazs ice cream, facilitated by his friendship with President Trump, who provided a supportive environment.

The media coverage of Musk's efforts has been predominantly negative, yet he remains committed to his mission and has referred numerous fraud cases to the Department of Justice for prosecution.

Musk describes the initial three-month period as intensely demanding, akin to a start-up phase, requiring significant effort to understand and map out the complexities of the federal government.

Despite the challenges and scrutiny, Musk remains positive about the accomplishments of DOGE, stating that the department has made significant progress, although he acknowledges there is still room for improvement.

DOGE operates with a small team of under 100 employees, many of whom come from high-paying private sector jobs, and the organization continues to function largely as a volunteer effort under Musk's leadership.