Elon Musk is expected to use office space in the White House complex

Elon Musk is expected to use office space in the White House complex as he launches the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to slash government spending in the Trump administration, according to two people briefed on the plans.

The space will be in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is adjacent to the White House. The location could allow Musk, who owns companies with billions of dollars in contracts with the federal government, to continue to have significant access to President-elect Donald Trump when he takes office this month.

Musk donated hundreds of millions to help Trump win the 2024 election and has been a regular by his side since then, often using one of the cottages available for rent on Trump's property at Mar-a-Lago. During the transition, he has sat in on official meetings and at least one foreign call, and weighed in on staff and Cabinet choices.


It was not clear whether Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk's partner in leading the project, would also have office space in the Eisenhower building.

The Musk-Ramaswamy project is called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Musk's status and the project have raised myriad issues about the rules for outsiders helping to wield governmental power.

DOGE staff members are currently working out of the Washington, D.C., offices of Musk's SpaceX company.

Musk has had discussions with transition officials about what his level of access to the West Wing will be, but that was left unclear, according to two people briefed on the matter. Staff members and others who are able to come and go freely in the West Wing typically require a special pass.

Officials with the Trump transition and associated with DOGE did not respond to requests for comment.

The work around DOGE has so far been shrouded in secrecy, with the transition revealing little to nothing about how it will function, or how it will be budgeted for.

It remains to be seen how large Musk's team will be, as well as what his own status will be. Some transition officials have suggested he could become a "special government employee," a status that can be paid or unpaid and has more flexible rules for personal financial disclosures than what is required of ordinary employees.