A review by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has raised questions over Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claim that it saved taxpayers $110 billion, finding major errors and a lack of evidence behind much of the reported figure.
According to ABC News, the watchdog agency found that DOGE could not verify 96% of the savings it reported from canceled grants. The review also found that DOGE did not consistently follow its own stated methodology while calculating savings listed on its public “Wall of Receipts” website.
DOGE was created during President Donald Trump’s second term as an effort to cut federal spending and identify government waste. The initiative launched a website tracking claimed savings, which later became a central part of its transparency push.
However, GAO said the reported figures were “unreliable” because of missing information, incorrect calculations and unverified claims.
“Because US DOGE Service officials did not respond to requests for information, GAO could not determine the reasons why DOGE did not disclose data quality issues and limitations when the website first went live or at any time since then,” the report stated, according to ABC News.
GAO questions DOGE’s contract and grant savings claims
The report found several instances where DOGE claimed savings from actions that had not actually taken place.
GAO said $27.4 billion in claimed savings came from contracts that were never executed, while DOGE failed to provide enough identifying details for another $7.2 billion in reported savings.
One example involved a $1.7 billion information technology services contract for the Defense Health Agency. DOGE counted it as savings, but GAO found that no changes had been made to the contract.
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The watchdog also found that DOGE included savings from some federal leases that had already been identified for termination before the department listed them as cost reductions.
Despite DOGE’s formal end on July 4, 2026, its “Wall of Receipts” website remains active and now claims about $215 billion in taxpayer savings, ABC News reported.
Musk, who led DOGE during its early months, has since stepped away from the initiative. ABC News said it reached out to Musk and the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Elon Musk’s net worth rises as SpaceX shares jump
The GAO report comes as Musk’s wealth climbed again following a rise in SpaceX shares.
Forbes reported that Musk’s net worth crossed $800 billion on Friday after SpaceX shares surged 11.7%, reaching their highest level in three weeks. His estimated fortune reached about $802 billion.
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The jump followed SpaceX’s latest earnings report, which showed quarterly revenue of $7.8 billion, exceeding Wall Street expectations of $6.9 billion. The company also reduced its quarterly losses from $1 billion to $541 million.
Musk’s wealth remains closely linked to SpaceX’s valuation, with Forbes reporting that he owns roughly 38% of the company.