Elon Musk compares himself to Buddha and DOGE to Buddhism: ‘A way of life’

Elon Musk recently compared himself to Buddha and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to Buddhism. The richest man in the world made the surprising remark during a Q&A session with Axios at the White House's Roosevelt Room, where he discussed stepping back from the controversial budget-cutting scheme.

Elon Musk compares himself to Buddha and DOGE to Buddhism: ‘A way of life’

In the interview published on May 1, Musk admitted that DOGE has not proved to be as successful as he had initially hoped for. Despite the agency's shortcomings, he thinks that it is similar to Buddhism. While the Tesla CEO has decided to step back from overseeing the slashing of federal spending, it does not mean the end of his initiative.

“DOGE is a way of life, like Buddhism,” Musk told the outlet. “Buddha isn't alive anymore. You wouldn't ask the question: 'Who would lead Buddhism?'” he said, insisting that the scheme would live on even without his supervision. The department was initially due to shut down on July 4, 2026, but it could now be extended through the end of 2028.

When asked about DOGE being extended, Musk said, “I think so,” adding, “It's up to the president.” Elsewhere in the interview, the SpaceX founder divulged the scheme's shortcomings, saying that it has only been able to cut $160 billion so far in federal spending out of the $2 trillion goal he set last year.

“In the grand scheme of things, I think we've been effective. Not as effective as I like ... but we've made progress,” Musk admitted. “There's a long way to go. It's pretty difficult ... It's like: How much pain is the Cabinet and Congress willing to take? It can be done. But it requires dealing with a lot of complaints,” he added.