Elon Musk is set to become part of the next Trump administration. Lawyer Richard Briffault on the looming conflict of interest and the advantages such a position would have.
Donald Trump is making good on his announcement: According to the US President-elect, Tesla boss Elon Musk and pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, as heads of a newly created department for efficient governance, will “pave the way to reduce government bureaucracy, remove unnecessary regulations, “to cut wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies.” He did not provide further details about the size or specific plans and powers of the department.
The department will provide advice “from outside government,” so it is not an official ministerial position, which could allow Musk to avoid disclosing his financial holdings.
