Cut down to 428 federal agencies to 99....Musk's Bureaucratic Reform Blueprint

99 federal agencies are more than enough."

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk posted the post on X shortly after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's announcement on the 12th (local time) that he would choose himself as the head of the "Government Efficiency Department."

Taking a short video of his interview about the work of the Ministry of Government Efficiency, he said, "Do we need 428 federal agencies? After pointing out that there are many institutions that have not even heard of, and there are many institutions that overlap in areas, he posted a post saying, "99 is enough."

In other words, the government is determined to break through the deep-rooted bureaucracy of the U.S. federal government, even though it is willing to undergo a major surgery to cut the size of the federal agency by a quarter.

In a series of posts, Musk also said, "Effective the government or the U.S. goes bankrupt." It showed a strong commitment to the efficient operation of the federal government.

To maximize transparency, he said he would post all measures of the Ministry of Government Efficiency online, adding, "If you think we're cutting out important things and not cutting out wasteful things, please let me know anytime."

Along with Musk, Vivek Ramaswa, who led the Ministry of Government Efficiency, also launched supportive shots. Ramaswamy, an Indian-born entrepreneur, has stepped down in the Republican presidential race and supported Trump.

"The American people voted for bold government reform," he said in a post on X, vowing to push for aggressive reforms, saying, "We will not soften it."

Musk, one of Trump's top contributors to re-entering the White House, said he could cut the federal budget by at least $2 trillion (KRW 2,800 trillion) during the campaign, signaling a significant government reform.

It did not explain much about specific operational policies, such as which federal agencies would be subject to "disposal."

However, some point out that there could be a conflict of interest against Musk, who runs large companies such as electric vehicle company Tesla and space exploration company SpaceX and is also engaged in a significant government contract business.

"Musk knows nothing about government efficiency and regulation," Lisa Gilbert, co-chairman of the progressive consumer group Public Citizen, said in a statement, pointing out that Musk has violated the rules he would attack in his position as "the tsar" several times in business.

Some point out that the authority and status of the organization called the Ministry of Government Efficiency are unclear.

"President-elect Trump is said to be an organization that provides advice and guidance outside the government, and it is unclear right now how the government's efficiency department will operate and whether the Republican-majority Congress intends to approve such drastic reforms to government spending and operations," CNN said.

Reuters also said Trump indicated that Musk and Ramaswamy's role could be informal.

Citing two heads of the government's efficiency department, federal Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, said, "Two people do one person's job. It seems very efficient," he sarcastically said.

Musk appeared to be conscious of the controversy surrounding the Ministry of Government Efficiency, saying through X, "A threat to democracy? No. A threat to bureaucracy!!" he countered.

Musk, who gained strong credibility during Trump's reelection victory, has been expected to be in charge of organizing to streamline the federal government.

He already has enormous influence, including attending phone calls between Trump and foreign leaders.