Elon Musk compared himself to the Buddha only days after President Donald Trump said he’d like to be pope.
“DOGE is a way of life, like Buddhism,” the MAGA billionaire said during an Axios interview in which said he is taking a step back from his cost-cutting scheme. “Buddha isn’t alive anymore. You wouldn’t ask the question: ‘Who would lead Buddhism?’”
Siddhartha Gautama, commonly referred to as the Buddha and known as the “awakened one,” was a wandering religious ascetic who lived in South Asia during the fifth century B.C. His teachings have inspired generations to live ethically and free themselves from suffering.
And Musk, 53, thinks they’re pretty similar to the gospel of his Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk has confessed that his efforts to slash the federal government haven’t been as successful as he hoped, estimating that $160 billion has been cut of his stated $2 trillion goal. DOGE was set to wrap up on July 4, 2026, but this week the DOGE supremo suggested Trump would extend it until he leaves office.
Musk is scaling back his time in Washington to focus on running his companies, which have experienced a major drop profits. Since Inauguration Day, Tesla has experienced a 71 percent drop in net income, plagued by protests, arson, and plummeting sales.
“In the grand scheme of things, I think we’ve been effective,” he said of DOGE. “Not as effective as I like… but we’ve made progress.”
He gave himself a pat on the back but acknowledged he’s probably only getting things right “70 to 80 percent” of the time.
Musk, who sees himself as a spiritual guide, has definitely amassed a cult-like following. His DOGE workers are in their mid-20s or younger, and one is a college freshman.
Musk’s Buddha comparison came just days after Trump made a joke about assuming the late Pope Francis’ position.
“Who do you see as pope?” a reporter asked the president. “As pope? I’d like to be pope,” Trump quickly replied. “That would be my No. 1 choice.”
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