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Tesla CEO and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, could get a deferment on potentially billions of dollars worth of federal taxes if he begins working for the United States government under President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump announced on Nov. 12 that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — a Republican rival-turned-ally — would be heading the ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ or DOGE, once he took the oath of office on Jan. 20. The president-elect claimed that Musk — worth roughly $300 billion — and Ramaswamy would help “cut wasteful expenditures” in the federal budget. 

Despite the name, only an act of Congress can establish a new government department, suggesting that DOGE may operate as more of an advisory commission. However, Republicans will hold a majority in the Senate and House of Representatives starting in 2025, meaning they could seemingly pass legislation creating a new department if desired.   

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