Tech billionaire Elon Musk indicated he would discuss a proposal with President Donald Trump to potentially send $5,000 checks to American taxpayers, funded by savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The proposal, pitched by Azoria CEO James Fishback, suggests using 20% of DOGE's projected $2 trillion in savings to provide payments to approximately 79 million tax-paying households after July 2026, when DOGE's current mandate expires.
Musk responded to Fishback's proposal on X (formerly Twitter), stating he "will check with the president." However, he later clarified that such a decision would ultimately rest with Trump as Commander-in-Chief.
According to doge.gov, the agency has already achieved $55 billion in savings through various measures including fraud detection, contract cancellations, workforce reductions, and regulatory changes.
DOGE, established by executive order during Trump's first day back in office, aims to modernize federal technology and increase government efficiency. However, the agency faces ongoing controversy over its access to sensitive federal data across multiple departments, leading to several legal challenges.
Fishback, who has been vocal in his support for Trump, Musk, and DOGE, expressed honor at Musk's interest in the dividend proposal. The investment firm CEO previously offered to step up after Vivek Ramaswamy's departure from the agency's leadership.
The proposed dividend plan would mark an unprecedented distribution of government efficiency savings directly to taxpayers, though its implementation remains uncertain pending presidential approval and potential legal considerations.