DOGE previously claimed it only saved $8 billion, and people believed that the "wall of receipt" was erroneous because Elon Musk's agency saved just $8 million instead.
Now, the billionaire's infamous DOGE is in the spotlight once again as reports have come out that some of its most important employees are raking in hefty taxpayer-funded salaries while the department slashes government jobs and resources.
DOGE Employees Cashing In While Cutting Costs
WIRED has found out that some DOGE staff, responsible for cutting federal agencies' budgets, are being paid substantial salaries by the same organizations they are dismantling.
One of them is Jeremy Lewin, who reportedly takes home more than $167,000 per year while working on the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Lewin has also worked on restructuring the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Another well-known name is Kyle Schutt, a software engineer at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who is said to be making the federal maximum of $195,200 annually.
Schutt is currently working in the Office of the Deputy Administrator at the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency that oversees DOGE's activities.
At the same time, 28-year-old tech mogul Nate Cavanaugh, who has interviewed GSA staff as part of DOGE's reorganization, is earning just more than $120,500 a year.
The median GSA worker takes home $128,565, so Cavanaugh's salary is comparable to long-time federal employees even though he has only recently joined the agency and caused significant disruption.
Musk's DOGE: From 'Zero Compensation' to Million-Dollar Perks
When Musk initially announced the hiring of DOGE employees in November, he said the job was "tedious" and that "compensation is zero." But recent reports indicate otherwise. The hiring process was spearheaded by engineers affiliated with billionaire Peter Thiel and done through Discord and other unofficial means.
After claiming initial unpaid spots, DOGE has turned out to be well-funded. According to a report by ProPublica, on Feb. 20, the campaign had amassed a budget of $40 million. The White House is yet to make public announcements of how all these funds have been spent, especially on staff salaries.
DOGE's Cutting-Edge Layoffs
Since Donald Trump came back to office in January, DOGE has implemented harsh firings, such as closing 18F, a department within the GSA that is charged with enhancing government technology. Furthermore, DOGE has made offers to sell off over 500 federal buildings in an attempt to "streamline" government assets.
Although Musk has termed DOGE as an example of "maximum transparency," the project has not provided publicly available information on expenditures, compensation structures, or upcoming budgetary allocations.
Critics say the drastic cost-cutting efforts appear to be incompatible with the top salaries being handed out to DOGE's key staff.
Special Government Employees Are Questionable
Musk and a number of DOGE employees are classified as "Special Government Employees" (SGEs), a status that enables them to be employed by the government for a maximum of 130 days while keeping outside sources of income. SGEs are not obliged to report conflicts of interest like full-time federal workers, except if they exceed a specific salary level.
A few DOGE staff members, including Musk's chief assistant Katie Miller, have maintained private-sector employment while holding federal positions. Miller's PR agency, for example, has in the past represented big-name clients like Apple and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.
Volunteers vs. High Earners: Who's Really Running DOGE?
While a few DOGE members, such as Musk, say they are unpaid volunteers, others are obviously being paid competitive wages.
Well-known DOGE members Edward Coristine, Ethan Shaotran, Luke Farritor, Derek Geissler, and Nicole Hollander are said not to be receiving a salary from the GSA, although it is not known if they are being paid through other government contracts.
The official DOGE recruitment site now admits that there are "full-time, salaried jobs for software engineers, InfoSec engineers, and other tech professionals" available, meaning paid work is no longer unusual within the scheme.
Musk's Wealth and Government Ties
Despite not taking a salary for his work with DOGE, Musk remains the world's richest person, with an estimated net worth of over $350 billion. His ventures, including Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company, have collectively received more than $38 billion in government funding over the last two decades.
This brings into question the real motives behind DOGE's budget-cutting initiatives. If Musk's businesses continue to profit from federal contracts and subsidies, some contend that DOGE's restructuring efforts may be designed to further his larger business interests and not necessarily improve government efficiency.
Critics Sound Off: Is DOGE a Power Play?
Experts in public policy are raising concerns regarding DOGE's legitimacy. Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan, has called for more attention to how DOGE workers are paid.
"It does seem worth understanding what these employees are being paid," Moynihan said. "Especially if they are being paid much more than technologists who have been laid off, given that many of the DOGE workers have less relevant experience."
