Elon Musk's Cost-Cutting Tactics Shift to US Treasury, Raising Concerns

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Elon Musk's recent takeover of the U.S. Treasury's payments system is expected to mirror the drastic changes he implemented at Twitter, according to Agence France-Presse. Musk, who leads President Donald Trump's federal cost-cutting initiative via the Department of Government Efficiency, is applying his strategy of slashing budgets and workforce numbers at the Treasury, which handles approximately $6 trillion annually for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Ryan Mac, co-author of "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter," noted that Musk's management style emphasizes a significant reduction in personnel, echoing the over 80% staff loss at Twitter post-acquisition. In applying these tactics to the federal government, officials are concerned about the potential impact on critical services if essential budgets are cut without thorough justification.

Additionally, Musk's preference for engineering-led decision-making has raised questions about the long-term sustainability of these changes. Industry experts warn that reckless slashing could harm vital federal programs, drawing parallels between technology and government operations. Critics argue that the complexities of governmental functions cannot be easily resolved through aggressive austerity measures.

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