In a recent interview with Fox’s Larry Kudlow, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed that his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a initiative launched by Donald Trump to reduce federal spending, has made it increasingly challenging for him to manage his numerous business ventures, including X, Tesla, xAI, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and Starlink.

When questioned by Kudlow about the management of his other businesses, Musk responded candidly, “With great difficulty. Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out how I ended up here doing this.”

Musk’s collaboration with DOGE, which currently has around 100 staff members and is expected to grow to 200, has been subject to criticism for making unrealistic promises and failing to deliver on spending cuts across various US government agencies. According to government contracting experts, DOGE’s online record of reductions contains inaccuracies and inflates claims of “savings” by using misleading math regarding contract cancellations.

Furthermore, DOGE’s actions have put the country’s data and computing infrastructure at risk, according to cybersecurity experts. DOGE staff, some of whom have limited experience working with government systems, have reportedly accessed agency data through insecure means and transferred it to unprotected servers.

Despite Musk’s complaints about the challenges of advising DOGE, he has been accused of utilizing the initiative to weaken regulatory oversight of his business ventures.

DOGE has dismantled the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which had plans to expand its oversight of peer-to-peer payment systems, including X’s upcoming virtual wallet product. The initiative has also reduced staff at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which had launched investigations into the safety risks posed by Tesla’s assisted driving technologies. Additionally, DOGE has terminated probationary employees at the Federal Aviation Administration, which had proposed penalties for safety violations at SpaceX. Moreover, DOGE has pushed for significant staff cuts at the Securities and Exchange Commission, with which Musk has a long-standing disagreement.

When asked by Kudlow if he would extend his involvement with DOGE by “another year,” Musk responded affirmatively, saying, “Yeah.”

Musk added, “We’re focused on getting things done, rather than just writing reports. Reports don’t accomplish anything; it’s the actions that matter.”