Young Autistic Engineers Leading DOGE, Forcing Senior Bureaucrats to Justify Their Jobs
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reportedly being led by Elon Musk and a team of highly skilled yet inexperienced 20-year-old autistic engineers, according to Wired. Under Musk’s leadership, these young programmers are radically disrupting the federal bureaucracy, allegedly forcing high-level General Services Administration (GSA) employees to justify their work by meticulously reviewing the code they’ve written.
Despite their limited professional backgrounds, these individuals have been granted A-suite level clearance, a designation typically reserved for top government officials and executives. In a striking example of their rapid ascent, one of these engineers is said to have only recently graduated high school. Their presence signals a dramatic shift in how government operations are being evaluated, with technical efficiency and software development taking precedence over tenure or experience in the agency.
Musk, known for his aggressive approach to efficiency and automation, has reportedly given these engineers broad authority to cut through bureaucratic inefficiencies, challenging long-standing norms within the government. The stark contrast between these young technocrats and long-serving bureaucrats has created an unprecedented dynamic. Imagine spending three decades navigating government procedures, building a career in federal administration, only to find yourself answering to—or even being dismissed by—a 17-year-old autistic coder wielding nothing but a laptop and technical expertise.
You might ask—how efficient is this team? In less than a week, Musk’s efficiency team successfully terminated 22 government leases, relocating agencies from underutilized “ghost buildings” into existing office space. The result? An impressive $44.6 million in taxpayer savings—up from just $1.6 million a few days prior. And the numbers continue to improve at a dramatic pace, with the total savings up to 1B!
Musk’s involvement has only added to the controversy surrounding DOGE, raising questions about the future of traditional public sector roles, the role of automation in government oversight, and whether this Silicon Valley-inspired approach can truly deliver on the promise of a leaner, more effective administration. Some see it as a much-needed shake-up, while others fear it could lead to chaos and instability in essential government functions.
