Group 1 - Elon Musk stated that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has achieved "limited" success in reducing federal government inefficiencies, particularly in eliminating "zombie payments" which lacked proper project coding and funding justification [1] - Musk revealed that previously, "zombie payments" could amount to between $100 billion to $200 billion annually, and the department's efforts to enforce project coding have successfully prevented these funds from being misallocated [1] - Reflecting on his experience, Musk expressed disbelief at his involvement in the DOGE and indicated that he would not want to lead the department again, suggesting he should have focused more on his companies [1] Group 2 - Musk mentioned that if he had not taken on the role at DOGE, he could have fully dedicated himself to company operations, which might have prevented Tesla from facing negative publicity related to "burning car protests" [2] - There was a notable public dispute between Musk and Trump over a large tax and spending bill earlier this year, although their relationship has since shown signs of improvement [2] - Tesla's stock performance saw a significant drop of over 50% after reaching a historical high in December 2024, but it has gradually recovered, closing at $445.17 with a year-to-date increase of approximately 10% [2]

Group 1 - Elon Musk stated that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has achieved "limited" success in reducing federal government inefficiencies, particularly in eliminating "zombie payments" which could amount to $100 billion to $200 billion annually [1] - The DOGE's main achievement was enforcing project coding and funding usage explanations for federal expenditures, which helped prevent improper disbursements [1] - Musk expressed regret about his involvement with DOGE, indicating he should have focused on running his companies instead [2] Group 2 - Musk described the backlash against his efforts to curb "political corruption" as "extremely strong," linking it to Tesla's challenges during the "burning car protests" [2] - Following a public dispute with Trump over a large tax and spending bill, relations between Musk and Trump have shown signs of improvement [2] - Tesla's stock performance saw a significant drop of over 50% after reaching a historical high in December 2024, but has since recovered, closing at $445.17 with a year-to-date increase of approximately 10% [2]

Group 1 - Musk acknowledged that the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) he led during Trump's second term achieved only "limited success" and stated he would not take on such a role again due to its negative impact on Tesla's business [1][3] - The involvement in DOGE led to significant backlash against Musk and Tesla, including vandalism of Tesla vehicles across the U.S., which Musk believes could have been avoided had he focused solely on his company [1][3] - Investors have expressed concerns that Musk's work with DOGE distracted him from Tesla, especially as the company faces a slowdown in sales [1][3] Group 2 - Musk described DOGE's performance as "somewhat successful," claiming it prevented approximately $100 billion to $200 billion in "zombie payments" through mandatory payment codes and explanations [4] - Initial ambitious goals for DOGE included cutting $2 trillion in government spending, which were later revised down to $1 trillion and then to $150 billion, reflecting a significant reduction in expected outcomes [4][5] - The DOGE initiative was short-lived, with Musk leading the team for only five months, during which it did facilitate the layoff or buyout of thousands of federal employees [4][5] Group 3 - The relationship between Musk and his allies in the White House has seen significant fluctuations, culminating in Musk's departure from the government in May after public disputes [5] - DOGE has been confirmed to be disbanded, eight months before its originally set authorization period was to end, with claims of hundreds of billions in spending cuts that remain unverifiable due to a lack of detailed public accounting [5]