Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Musks

Elon Musk’s DOGE ramps up hiring

FOX Business’ Lydia Hu reports on the Department of Government Efficiency’s latest plan to cut spending during an appearance on ‘Varney & Co.’

The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making another hiring push, asking for “world-class talent” to apply to work for the government cost-cutting initiative – and making it easier to apply than before.

DOGE, voluntarily led by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has officially launched a webpage where candidates may fill out an application to join the team, after launching its website last week. Prior to the hiring page, DOGE was accepting applications through X direct messages.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“The DOGE Team is looking for world-class talent to work long hours identifying/eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse,” DOGE said in a message on X on Sunday. “These are full-time, salaried positions for software engineers, InfoSec engineers, financial analysts, HR professionals, and, in general, all competent/caring people.”

ELON MUSK’S DOGE SETTING ITS SIGHTS ON THE PENNY

When DOGE officially opened hiring in November, the initiative asked for “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting,” to apply, saying none of the positions would be paid.

Azoria CEO James Fishback discusses DOGE’s mission under President Donald Trump on ‘The Bottom Line.’

However, DOGE announced earlier this month that it is currently recruiting a “very small number” of full-time salaried software and info security engineers. The account also posted on Dec. 27 that it plans to hire for full-time human resources, IT and finance positions.

ELON MUSK’S DOGE FACES FIRST LEGAL CHALLENGE WITHIN HOURS OF TRUMP INAUGURATION

DOGE, which President Donald Trump officially established via executive order upon his return to the White House last week, aims to slash government waste and provide increased transparency when it comes to government spending.

Elon Musk, President Donald Trump (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Some of the cuts proposed by Musk include simplifying the U.S. tax code, auditing the Pentagon, ending federal employees’ remote work, reevaluating expired congressional programs, modernizing IT systems and protecting federal health care and Social Security benefits, to name a few.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

For now, DOGE is operating out of glass-walled office space in Washington, D.C., leased by SpaceX, about four blocks away from the White House. DOGE employees are required to come to the office and work in person.

FOX Business’ Kevin Gora and Kristen Altus contributed to this report.

January 27, 2025
Elon Musk’s DODGE setting its sights on America’s copper coin

Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is eyeing ways to slash government spending. One of its first targets could be the penny.

DOGE, which officially became a part of the government on Tuesday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order, posted on X that producing the penny is costing American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, suggesting that it may be one of the items it may consider eliminating.

Musk’s initiative, aimed at cutting $2 trillion in federal spending, didn’t directly state that the penny would be eliminated, but highlighted that it costs three times more to make than it’s actually worth.

According to the U.S. Mint, each penny cost 3.69 cents to produce in fiscal year 2024, costing taxpayers $119 million. This marked the 19th consecutive year in which production exceeded its face value.

ELON MUSK’S DOGE FACES FIRST LEGAL CHALLENGE WITHIN HOURS OF TRUMP INAUGURATION

In the U.S., the penny was one of the first coins made by the U.S. Mint after its establishment in 1792. When it was first produced, the coin was larger and made of pure copper. Today’s smaller coin is made mostly of zinc, according to the U.S. Mint.

For comparison, the Canadian government eliminated the penny from its coinage system in 2012 because inflation eroded its purchasing power.

“Over time, the penny’s burden to the economy has grown relative to its value as a means of payment,” the government’s Economic Action Plan 2012 read.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY POINT TO DOGE TARGETS

At the time, the penny only retained about one-twentieth of its original purchasing power.

“Given its declining purchasing value, some Canadians consider the penny more of a nuisance than a useful coin,” the report said.

According to the U.S. Mint, each penny cost 3.69 cents to produce in fiscal year 2024, costing taxpayers $119 million. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

The penny is just one of many items that DOGE may look to eliminate as it sets its sights on cutting $2 trillion in federal spending. However, Musk admitted in early January that DOGE may not reach its intended $2 trillion target.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome,” Musk told Stagwell Inc. CEO Mark Penn, adding that he believes if DOGE aims for $2 trillion in cuts, it has a “good shot at getting one.”

January 23, 2025
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder launches contest to support Elon Musk’s Dept of Government Efficiency: ‘DOGE vs Blob’

Andreessen Horowitz general partner Katherine Boyle discusses the impact of leadership change on the defense sector on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen threw his support behind Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with the launch of a new meme contest on Monday.

On the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration and the establishment of DOGE, Cohen posted on X that he would be launching the “DOGE vs. Blob” website as a way of backing the department.

“Pentagon bureaucrats torch $2 million of taxpayer money every minute. In honor of @DOGE, I’m launching @dogevsblob, a meme contest highlighting the biggest gov’t spender + waster. We’re giving away 1,000 @dogecoin a day. If anyone can slash the Pentagon budget, @elonmusk can. Let’s support him,” Cohen wrote.

VERMONT NATIVE AMERICAN CHIEF SAYS BEN & JERRY’S HEADQUARTERS ON ‘STOLEN’ LAND

Cohen linked to the website and told followers that they could enter for free up to nine times a day for the next 100 days. He wrote that he will select the two best memes for the grand prize of 10,000 DOGE coins each.

The “DOGE vs. Blob” website highlighted multiple examples of government waste at the Pentagon, stressing how the DOD had failed its seventh consecutive audit in a row.

“Unelected bureaucrats in Washington are torching $2 million of taxpayer money every minute — fueling endless wars, lining their pockets, and drowning the nation deeper into debt. Over $6 trillion has gone to disastrous war efforts, malfunctioning weapons systems, and crony contracts. That ends now,” the website says.

President Donald Trump established Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after his inauguration on Monday. (Getty Images / iStock / Getty Images)

It continued, “Elon created DOGE to take down the Pentagon’s bloated budget, nicknamed the Blob for its uncontrollable sprawl. Join the coalition of Blob slayers by spreading facts that inform, shock, and move the needle on Washington’s most wasteful farce — and stack some dogecoin while you’re at it.”

BEN & JERRY’S GETS ‘BUD LIGHT TREATMENT’ AFTER CLAIMING JULY 4 THAT US SITS ON ‘STOLEN INDIGENOUS LAND’

In a comment to FOX Business, Cohen said, “I’m supporting an issue and I’m happy to work together with anyone else who supports that issue… I think the key to get anything done in the country is to work with people of any political persuasion where you have common ground. And that’s what I’m looking to do.”

Cohen and his company have often supported progressive politicians and causes, such as Ben & Jerry’s controversial July 4th tweet in 2023 calling for the U.S. to return “stolen Indigenous land.”

However, Cohen has also previously voiced his disdain for U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s war with Russia and called for peace negotiations, which Musk has endorsed.

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen launched the “DOGE vs. Blob” website. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“In the end, money won,” Cohen said in 2023. “And today, not only are they providing weapons to all the new NATO countries, but they’re providing weapons to Ukraine.”

“I’m not supporting Russia, I’m not supporting Ukraine,” he added. “I’m supporting negotiations to end the war instead of providing more weapons to continue the war.”

January 23, 2025