Elon Musk Wants 'Super High-IQ Revolutionaries' To Work 80+ Hours Weekly With No Pay For DOGE
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an informal advisory board dedicated to slashing federal expenditures and dismantling bureaucratic red tape. This unconventional initiative, dubbed DOGE in reference to Musk's favoured cryptocurrency Dogecoin, is designed to reduce waste, cut regulations, and propose sweeping restructuring within U.S. government agencies. According to Reuters, the department will work alongside the White House and the Office of Management and Budget, with a deadline of July 4, 2026, aligning with the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Musk's requirements for DOGE team members are as ambitious as his vision. In a post on X, Musk called for "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries" willing to work over 80 hours weekly without pay, stressing that "compensation is zero." He added that the work would be "tedious" and likely to involve "making lots of enemies." DOGE's hiring message on X invited applicants in the top 1% to submit their CVs for Musk and Ramaswamy's review, setting an incredibly high bar for potential candidates. According to NBC News, Musk explained that although the roles are unpaid, they would "greatly help America."
Trump praised Musk and Ramaswamy's mission as a means to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies." According to Trump's statement, the panel is expected to function without formal Senate confirmation, allowing both leaders to retain their business roles while advising the administration. As reported by Reuters, the new department is anticipated to serve as an informal, external advisory body with limited ties to traditional government channels unless Congress later codifies it into law.
