On the side of Trump for a week – that happened

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Lerato Khumalo

First week in Washington

Musk takes up without Trump’s approval


Updated on January 30th, 2025 – 5:35 p.m.Reading time: 4 min.

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Elon Musk: The Tesla boss and Trump confidant wants to significantly reduce government spending. (Source: Matt Rourke/AP/dpa)

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Tempor -rich first days: Elon Musk mixed up Washington within a few days. His handwriting cannot only be recognized in his own authority.

Since Donald Trump’s inauguration as the new US president, Elon Musk has set up in Washington, DC, and his private jet has not left the capital a week. His task is clear: The Tech billionaire should take care of the efficiency authority and help Trump save state funds on a broad front-and, if necessary, also released employees in rows.

Apparently he intends to use his business experiences, at least his first official acts like to take on the social network Twitter (today X). At that time he terminated hundreds of employees within a few days, and then 80 percent of the employees had to go. Some of the executives that he added to support at the time are now in Washington, reports the “New York Times”. The newspaper spoke to several people who pursued Trumps and Musk’s first week in Washington.

First of all, Musk is said to have used the time to get a number of confidants and companions from his companies on board. This is also due to the fact that Musk is supposedly difficult to trust people. Among them is Scott Kupor, an analyst for venture capital, who, after his appointment by Trump, is still waiting for confirmation from the Senate as the new head of the Office for Personnel Administration. There should be previous business relationships between him and Musk. The office is important for Musk’s overview of the federal employees.

Also in Washington is Brian Bjelde, a HR manager at SpaceX, who was already there when we took on Twitter. Riccardo Biasini, a manager at Boring Company, the tunnel construction company of Musk, and technology consultant Anthony Armstrong are now involved in the Twitter purchase and is now there in Washington. In addition, there is Amanda Scales, who will act as the Chief of Staff of the Efficiency Authority in the future and has previously worked for Musk.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk: The multimilliarist has an impact on Trump's politics.Enlarge the picture
Donald Trump and Elon Musk: The multimilliarist has an impact on Trump’s politics. (Source: Brandon Bell/Reuters)

However, a new person has worked up in Musk’s closer circle. This is Baris Akis, the Turkish boss of a company from Silicon Valley, who completed a degree in Stanford University in 2016. He and Musk have only recently known each other; Akis was involved in the takeover by Trump and is closely linked to Steve Davis, an important Musk employee in the efficiency authority.

Together they first want to reduce the amount of national workers. It starts in your own authority. Substantial dismissals are planned among the approximately 200 employees who are currently working there, and discussions with the employees are already being held, the “New York Times” writes. These would give the appearance as if the loyalty to the government is being knocked on, several sources report.

Together they are now working quickly to create initial success with the efficiency authority. Musk and his team found a way within days to send an email to all 2.3 million federal employees. She wore the subject “fork” (“fork in the road”). At that time, Musk also sent a mail of the same name on Twitter.

Elon Musk: He made his Asperger diagnosis public on a TV show.Enlarge the picture
Elon Musk: He was switched on at the AfD campaign. (Source: Karina Hessland)

There was a severance payment offer in the current email. The promise: Anyone who quit until February 6 will be paid by the end of September. High -ranking employees in the White House said they were not asked about this offer, and accordingly there was no budget test. Many employees therefore fear that this promise will not be met. Legal experts were also skeptical whether the offer would exist in court. Musk itself, on the other hand, was optimistic. On X he wrote that it was believed that up to ten percent of employees will respond to the offer.