Indian American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy had to quit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) partly due to the fact that co-leader Elon Musk thought he was too “outspoken,” the Wall Street Journal reported citing “people familiar with the split.”
DOGE was originally envisioned as a joint Musk–Ramaswamy mission outside the federal government. But Musk’s vision for DOGE—along with his relentless, 24/7 online promotion of its goals—has quickly won out, according to the newspaper.
READ: Vivek Ramaswamy leaves DOGE to run for Ohio governor (January 21, 2025)
The Tesla and SpaceX chief executive, among others in President Donald Trump’s inner circle, were reportedly irked by Ramaswamy’s general tenacity in his views.
There were always going to be tensions between two CEOs who have built successful companies,” a person familiar with Department of Government Efficiency inner workings told the WSJ. “Everyone saw the writing on the wall.”
And that writing became clearer as Ramaswamy’s ideals for the DOGE mission came into friction with those of the more “senior” Musk, so-called because he has Trump’s ear.
Whittling away at what he saw as overly restrictive regulations and bureaucracy were Ramaswamy’s main charge, whereas Musk saw spending cuts as the most important aspect of the new organization.
A person familiar with the saga told WSJ that Ramaswamy chose to walk away from the cause he championed as the “mandate narrowed and shifted.”
He also thought that the organization needed to act independently of the federal government as an outside entity, but Trump’s Day One executive order brought DOGE into the fold officially.
“Elon was for it, Vivek was against it. I don’t think it spoke to the original mission, the vision for DOGE, as articulated by Trump two months ago,” the person said.
On Monday, Trump said Musk and his team will have office space for 20 or so people. His executive order also states that Musk will report to the White House chief of staff, “Ice Maiden” Susie Wiles—who recently said she doesn’t want any “stars” on the West Wing.
One WSJ source said Trump’s executive order “surprised a lot of people,” not least because it is reportedly only a two-week-old idea.
It comes as Cincinnati-born Ramaswamy is set to announce a bid for governor in his home state of Ohio by the end of the month. A spokesperson for DOGE all but confirmed this after Ramaswamy threw in the towel.
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” Anna Kelly told the Associated Press Monday. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today.”
READ: Will Elon Musk own TikTok soon? (January 14, 2025)
Meanwhile, a Republican strategist close to the Trump team told Politico that Ramaswamy “just burned through the bridges and he finally burned Elon. Everyone wants him out of [Trump’s Florida residence] Mar-a-Lago, out of D.C.”
DOGE also faces legal scrutiny, criticism for potential conflicts of interest, and challenges in achieving ambitious federal spending cuts, according to Fortune.
It is already under legal scrutiny amid concerns that the unofficial body could serve the interests of private business leaders (like Musk) while operating without taxpayer accountability or Congressional oversight.
Critics have raised questions about whether DOGE’s efforts might unfairly target regulatory agencies seen as obstacles to business interests of those closely connected to Trump (again, like Musk), Fortune said.