X owner Elon Musk has taken the discussion of work-life balance to a whole new level. While figures like Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy and Ola CEO Bhavish Agarwal are facing criticism for their views on long working hours, Elon Musk took it a step further. Musk, alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, is advocating for a controversial approach within the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration. Their proposal? Encouraging “high-IQ, small-government revolutionaries” to commit to working over 80 hours a week—without any pay.
In a recent post, the department’s official account expressed gratitude to the thousands of Americans who showed interest in supporting its mission at DOGE. The name “DOGE” itself might evoke memories of the Shiba Inu meme that once swept across the internet, even inspiring the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.
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Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy To Review Profiles
The DOGE post also outlines the type of candidates it’s looking for, specifying that it’s not interested in part-time idea generators. Instead, the department seeks high-IQ individuals willing to dedicate over 80 hours a week to “unglamorous cost-cutting” tasks. The post wraps up by inviting applicants to submit their resumes to Musk and Ramaswamy, who will personally review the top 1 per cent of submissions. The post read, “If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE. We don’t need more part-time idea generators. We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting. If that’s…
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) November 14, 2024
In a separate post, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described the work at DOGE as “tedious,” warning that it would create many enemies and offer no compensation. He also referenced Trump’s goal of reducing federal bureaucracy by a third and cutting $2 trillion in government spending, suggesting that such changes would inevitably involve temporary hardships.
Following his decisive win over Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential contender, Trump has been making swift moves. Just days after his victory, the president-elect unveiled the creation of DOGE, calling it the “Manhattan Project of our time.” The original Manhattan Project was the U.S.-led initiative that developed the first atomic bomb.
Speaking on DOGE, Trump explained that Musk and Ramaswamy would play key roles in his administration’s effort to dismantle government bureaucracy, eliminate unnecessary regulations, reduce wasteful spending, and overhaul federal agencies—all of which he sees as vital to his “Save America” campaign.
