Elon Musk said he was running his other businesses “with great difficulty” while working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He made the remark during a Fox Business interview with Larry Kudlow on March 10, 2025. The comment acknowledged a challenge; it did not, by itself, establish measurable harm to each company or prove that DOGE caused a particular business or market outcome.
What Musk said about running his businesses
In the interview, Kudlow asked, “How are you running your other businesses?” Musk replied, “With great difficulty,” and added, “Frankly, I can’t believe I’m here doing this.” TechCrunch and Reuters reported the exchange on March 10, 2025. TechCrunch’s account and Reuters via Investing.com reproduce the core remarks; a primary Fox Business transcript or recording was not verified.
Which businesses were included in the contemporaneous report?
TechCrunch’s March 10, 2025, article listed the businesses then associated with Musk as X, Tesla, xAI, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and Starlink. This is that report’s list at the time, not a claim that every company had the same corporate relationship or that the list remains current. TechCrunch
Why investors were concerned about distraction
Reuters reported that Tesla investors were concerned Musk’s DOGE work could distract him from his companies. Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, described the shareholder question this way: “The public eye seems to be coalescing around what he’s doing for the federal government. So if you’re a shareholder, you can’t help but wonder if that’s not detracting from what he should be doing for the publicly traded company that he’s running.” That is an attributed market perspective, not proof that DOGE caused operational problems. Reuters via Investing.com
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
What Tesla’s March 10 stock move does—and does not—show
Reuters reported that Tesla shares fell 15% to $222.15 on March 10, 2025, and that the company’s market value decreased by $130 billion that day. The Nasdaq fell 4% in the same session. Reuters also cited tariff concerns, recession fears, investor expectations, and other factors in describing the selloff. These are one-day market figures; they do not isolate DOGE’s effect or establish that the federal role alone caused Tesla’s decline. Reuters via Investing.com
How Musk’s later comments fit the timeline
- May 1, 2025: Axios reported Musk planned to spend less time in Washington to focus on his companies, while saying DOGE could continue. Axios
- May 27, 2025: The Washington Post reported Musk said his companies had taken a reputational hit and that DOGE was blamed for events unrelated to it. The Washington Post
- December 10, 2025: The Associated Press reported Musk said he would not take on the DOGE role again and would have worked on his companies instead. This retrospective statement is separate from his March interview. The Associated Press
How to read the remark
The clearest conclusion is limited but meaningful: Musk publicly acknowledged that balancing DOGE work with his businesses was difficult. The interview supports that account of his own experience. Investor worries and Tesla’s one-day share decline provide context, but neither establishes that DOGE alone caused harm to Tesla or to every business in the reported list.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #2
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
