Musk Reveals Incredible Amount DOGE Can Save Taxpayers Next Year

Elon Musk, who heads Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink, shared bold financial projections during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, announcing that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to save American taxpayers a significant amount in the coming fiscal year by cutting down on government inefficiencies.

While addressing senior officials in the Cabinet Room at the White House, Musk revealed that DOGE is on pace to deliver an estimated $150 billion in savings for fiscal year 2026.

“Thanks to your fantastic leadership, this amazing Cabinet and the very talented DOGE team, I’m excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion,” Musk said, according to DailyMail.com.

He pointed out that some of the government programs his team uncovered were downright “absurd” and “crazy.”

“Like people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet,” he added, criticizing some of the more egregious examples of wasteful spending.

Despite the eye-popping savings estimate, the number still falls short of DOGE’s original payroll reduction target.

Initially, Musk set his sights on cutting $2 trillion in wasteful federal expenditures. However, he later called that number a “best-case outcome” and acknowledged a more feasible goal would be around $1 trillion—still a lofty figure compared to the current projections.

Even so, slashing $150 billion in a matter of months is no small feat, with each American potentially reaping benefits from the reduced financial burden.

According to DOGE’s official website, the initiative has already generated $931 in savings per taxpayer.

“People ask me, like, well, how are you going to find waste, fraud and abuse in the federal in the government? I’m like, well, actually, just go in any direction,” Musk told the president and his team. “That’s how you find it. It’s very common. It’s, as military would say, a target rich environment.”

Musk also gave credit to the Cabinet members for helping identify inefficiencies throughout the federal government, assuring the administration that the cuts “will actually result in better services for the American people.”

Critics, particularly from the Democratic side, argue that DOGE has gone too far, cutting essential services and allegedly gaining unauthorized access to the personal data of millions of citizens.

Musk’s prominent role in the administration has sparked backlash from liberal politicians and activists around the world.

Earlier this month, DOGE announced it had cut $51 million in grant funding for projects many viewed as non-essential, including ones focused on shea butter marketing and mango drying in Africa.

In a post on X, DOGE reported, “The US African Development Foundation has terminated $51M in grants,” pointing to the elimination of several initiatives under the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), an agency created by Congress in 1980 to promote investment in African entrepreneurs.

Projects on the chopping block included nearly $230,000 for organic shea butter promotion in Burkina Faso, $84,000 for a wellness business incubator in Nigeria, and $240,000 to promote pineapple juice in Benin.

Other rescinded grants included almost $100,000 to scale yogurt production in Uganda, $50,000 for a WhatsApp-based chatbot in Kenya, and a similar amount for training Senegalese farmers to grow dragon fruit.

Amid speculation about his future in the administration, Vice President J.D. Vance dismissed reports suggesting Trump was unhappy with Musk’s involvement and that he might be stepping down.

“First of all, that report I saw was total fake news,” Vance said in a Fox News interview, responding to a Politico piece that claimed Trump had privately told advisors Musk would soon be “stepping back.”

Vance clarified that Musk had agreed to serve as a special advisor for a temporary six-month effort to streamline government operations and reduce red tape. The White House role, bound by a 130-day cap, is due to conclude in late May or early June. However, the vice president affirmed that Musk would still play an advisory role moving forward.

“We said that’s going to take about six months, and that’s what Elon signed up for, but of course, he’s going to continue to be an advisor,” Vance explained, adding that the work DOGE is doing will continue beyond Musk’s formal tenure.