Elon Musk, who has led a department tasked with cutting US government inefficiency, announced late Wednesday that his time as a government employee is ending.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an agency that Donald Trump established with an executive order when he started his second term as president.

"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," he wrote on X, the social media platform he owns.

"The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," he added.

Why is Elon Musk leaving DOGE?

Musk's departure from DOGE was decided at the "senior staff" level, and the billionaire did not have a conversation with the president ahead of the announcement that he would leave, according to a Reuters report citing a White House official. 

Musk's 130-day term as a special government employee was set to expire around May 30. The administration has said DOGE's efforts to restructure and shrink the federal government will continue.

The Associated Press news agency reported Musk is leaving his government position after disagreeing with measures in Trump's budget bill.

DOGE has come under significant criticism for its approach to cutting government spending, as well as for the veracity of the amount it has saved the government.

Musk's departure comes amid loss in business

Musk said previously that after his temporary government position ends, he would turn his attention back to his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.

His decision to leave the Trump administration comes amid global backlash over his involvement in politics, namely in support of right-wing and far-right figures in the US and beyond. In April, thousands of people gathered in Europe, Canada and the US to protest against Musk and Trump.

In the months following his appointment as a special government employee, Musk's approach to policies on funding cuts not only sparked wide protests, but also impacted his business.

In April, Tesla saw a dip of 52% in sales of cars when compared to the same month last year, according to a recent study.

Edited by: Farah Bahgat