Elon Musk has reportedly confided in several individuals that he has been spending nights at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headquarters located in Washington, DC, as he seeks to gain a firmer grip on the federal government. DOGE operates out of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, conveniently positioned near the White House.
At a recent exclusive black-tie event hosted by the Alfalfa Club, Musk shared with associates that he had even received an invitation to stay overnight in the White House’s Lincoln Bedroom.
This development highlights Musk’s deepening ties within President Donald Trump’s circle and mirrors his previous strategies employed at Tesla and Twitter (now X).
In the demanding times at Tesla, Musk was known for resting on the factory floor. “It was basically my main residence,” he stated during an interview with Ron Baron in 2022. He described this approach as purposeful since he wanted his team to see him working alongside them. “This was significant because if the team believes that their leader is off somewhere enjoying life, drinking Mai Tais on a beach, which I definitely could have done … since the team could witness me napping on the floor during shift changes, they understood I was there, and that made a substantial impact; they gave it their all.”
The image of a leader enjoying cocktails on a tropical island came to light again after Musk became the largest shareholder in Twitter in the spring of 2022. In text conversations with his friend, podcaster, and angel investor Jason Calacanis, Musk noted that Twitter’s newly appointed CEO Parag Agrawal was on a 10-day vacation in Hawaii. At that moment, Musk was contemplating joining Twitter’s board of directors but was increasingly frustrated with Agrawal, questioning their potential collaboration.
“By the way, Parag is still on a ten-day vacation in Hawaii,” Musk informed Calacanis. “No reason to cut it short… during your first tour as ceo (!!!),” Calacanis replied, likely with sarcasm. “Shouldn’t he be in a war room right now?!?” Musk then remarked: “Does taking some Zoom calls while sipping fruity cocktails at the Four Seasons count?” (The exchanges were later disclosed as part of the discovery in a lawsuit involving Musk and Twitter).
Ultimately, Musk concluded that saving Twitter was unfeasible with Agrawal leading, which drove him to buy the company instead.
After finalizing the acquisition, Musk began sleeping at Twitter’s San Francisco offices. Employees would frequently observe him pacing the halls late into the night, often accompanied by security guards to the restroom. He even sought to have a bathroom installed adjacent to his office to avoid traversing the floor during his overnight stays.
Musk’s associate Steve Davis, CEO of the Boring Company, who has reportedly been recruiting personnel for DOGE, also temporarily relocated to Twitter HQ with his wife and newborn child.
Earlier in the week, the US Office of Personnel Management, already populated with Musk supporters, sent an email to federal employees titled “a fork in the road.”
“The federal workforce should consist of individuals who are dependable, loyal, trustworthy, and who aspire to excellence in their everyday tasks,” read the email. It urged employees to return to physical offices five days a week and embrace a culture of excellence, or opt to resign while still receiving benefits and pay through September.
The memo closely resembled a message Musk communicated to Twitter employees shortly following his acquisition of the platform. In that communication, sent on November 16, 2022, Musk indicated that staff would need to commit to enduring long, intense work hours to fulfill his vision for the company—otherwise, they should resign. “Moving forward, to construct a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and thrive in a fiercely competitive landscape, we must be incredibly hardcore,” he wrote. “This will entail working long hours at high intensity. Only outstanding performance will be deemed acceptable.”
