Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are shaking revamping the U.S. federal government. This is done through applying corporate strategies like cost reduction and efficiency improvement to government agencies, with the goal of building a super-government that no other country can match.

As its name suggests, the DOGE is truly efficient. Within less than a month of its establishment, it has pushed through a series of reforms across multiple fronts. These include eliminating agencies, making personnel changes, limiting the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)'s foreign payments, and cutting the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) departments. Every day, the DOGE shakes up the power structures in Washington. The department's current goal is to cut USD 3 billion per day, and this pace may increase in the future. Recent reports show that Musk and his government efficiency team have already reached at least 19 American government departments and gained internal system access in some of them, further expanding their power. In response to external criticism and attacks, President Donald Trump defended Musk's team, claiming that the federal government is too bloated and that waste and fraud have caused excessive financial losses.

Now, Musk continues pushing toward the creation of a "super-government", focusing on those who profit from politics, particularly Democratic senators. Recently, a video circulating on social media showed Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who usually appears composed, rudely elbowing a reporter who kept challenging her. In the video, the reporter first asks why Warren is bothered by transparency and opposes Musk exposing fraudulent government spending. Then, he asks, "How did you get a 12 million dollar net worth on a 200,000 dollar salary?" Throughout the exchange, Warren remains silent, smiling as she walks and greets others. Her staff tries to escort the reporter away. When Warren approached her vehicle, she visibly got angry and elbowed the reporter. The video sparked a flood of outraged comments online, with many criticizing Warren as hypocritical and demanding she release her financial and tax records. Some even suggested the reporter should sue Warren for the assault.

There are other Democrats in a similar situation to Warren, with unclear income sources and net assets far exceeding what would be expected of a U.S. civil servants. Recent data quoted by Musk shows that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has an annual salary of USD 223,000 but a net worth of USD 202 million. Current Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earns USD 210,000 annually, with a net worth of nearly USD 75 million. Some like certain left-wing critics question Musk's data and accuse it of being false information. However, when looking at open-source data and statistics published by authoritative research organizations like OpenSecrets, it becomes clear that these Democrats qualify as "super-rich" under the standard definition, belonging to the wealthiest 1% of American society. For instance, OpenSecrets data shows that Pelosi's assets exceeded USD 100 million in 2018, reaching USD 115 million, while Warren had nearly USD 8 million in assets that same year.

American people have known about these issues for a long time, and previous U.S. administrations were aware as well but chose to turn a blind eye and ignore them. Now, however, Musk's scrutiny has focused on this group of establishment Democrats, judges, and prosecutors, and this is causing quite a stir. The reason is that these individuals' income sources are problematic. During last year's U.S. election, these establishment figures and people in the courts banded together to attack Trump. Recently, there have been reports showing that USAID provided large sums of money to an organization controlled by financial tycoon George Soros, which in turn funded a large number of prosecutors. Essentially, Soros's organization was directing them to prosecute Trump during the election. It is said that the financial transactions of these institutions have already been exposed. Additionally, some argue that USAID, with its large amounts of unclear funding, is now the engine behind the U.S. left-wing culture, fueling many of the issues Musk and Trump are determined to change.

The question is, what kind of result will Musk's current efforts lead to?

A senior researcher from ANBOUND believes that these efforts by the non-establishment factions in the U.S. will actually create a new elite system. These new elites will no longer come from humble beginnings; they will already be wealthy, born into privileged families, and not rely on politics to make money. For them, holding political office is about contributing and serving. Take Musk himself as an example: a billionaire who works for zero salary, earning not a single penny, yet does his job tirelessly day and night, even sleeping in his office. A government made up of such people is what ANBOUND's team has referred to as an "elite government". This is the government Musk aims to build.

This, in essence, restores the old tradition of rule by nobles and elites. The only slight difference is people like JD Vance. From his autobiography Hillbilly Elegy, it is clear that Vance is an elite who grew up from humble beginnings. Through his own efforts, he escaped the poverty of the Rust Belt, attended Yale, worked in California, and gradually made his way into U.S. politics, eventually becoming vice president. However, one Vance alone might struggle to handle the vast governance system of a country like the U.S. Therefore Musk's vision either needs more idealists to succeed, or it could end in failure and collapse.

We can see that Musk's recruitment for the DOGE is aimed at finding people like him. The department's job posting on X outlines that applicants must have exceptionally high IQs and be willing to work over 80 hours a week, focusing on the tedious task of cost-cutting, with zero pay. This in effect reflects Musk's own lifestyle and work philosophy. According to a report by Wired, the six young people in the department leading the charge for streamlining government are between 19 and 25 years old. Some are still in college, some started businesses during college, and others have interned at Musk's companies or those of his friends. None of them have government experience, but they are experts in technology and algorithms. For example, Akash Bobba, of Indian-origin, has interned at Meta, Palantir, and Bridgewater Associates, working in AI, data analysis, and financial modeling. Another example is Gavin Kliger, whose father graduated from Cornell University and works as a lawyer at the well-known credit reporting agency Experian. These prodigies come from privileged backgrounds, with strong starting points in life, good family circumstances, and little concern for wealth or salary.

If a generation of capitalist giving-back, and dedicated "new elites" truly emerges in the U.S., it would undoubtedly be a significant development in the field of political science. Musk's efforts to build a "super government" could gain increasing social support and gradually become part of the mainstream mindset. The outcome, of course, remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: Musk's push to create a super government will have an impact just as profound as his mission to land on Mars, and it will undoubtedly have a massive influence on the world.

Final analysis conclusion:

When a generation of capitalist giving-back, and dedicated "new elites" truly emerges in the U.S., it will undoubtedly be a major event in political science. Musk's efforts to create a "super government" may also gain increasing social support, gradually becoming part of the mainstream mindset.

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Zhijiang Zhao is a Research Fellow for Geopolitical Strategy programme at ANBOUND, an independent think tank.