Could every American household get 5,000 Dollars? Musk responds to bold proposal

A social media user recently asked Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to divide the department’s savings among taxpaying Americans. The user proposed that with the money saved, each household could receive a $5,000 (₹4.3 lakh) payout. Musk, in response, stated that he would “check with the President.”

DOGE’s massive cost-cutting efforts

According to entrepreneur James Fishback, DOGE is reportedly saving $1 billion per day. The department, established in January following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, is led by Musk, who claims he receives no salary for his role. DOGE’s primary objective is to slash government spending, with a focus on agencies like USAID and the Department of Education.

The proposed “DOGE Dividend”

Fishback has proposed a “DOGE Dividend” that would distribute a portion of these savings back to taxpaying households. He suggested that once DOGE’s tenure expires in July 2026, taxpayers should receive a refund check funded by 20% of the department’s projected $2 trillion savings—amounting to $400 billion. If distributed among the estimated 79 million taxpaying households in the U.S. for 2025, each would receive $5,000.

Potential benefits of the DOGE dividend

Fishback outlined several advantages of the proposed payout:

• Compensation for Misuse of Tax Dollars: The dividend would serve as a form of reimbursement for what he described as government waste, fraud, and abuse uncovered by DOGE.
• Incentivizing Whistleblowing: Citizens may be more likely to report government inefficiencies, leading to even greater savings and possibly higher payouts in the future.
• Restoring Trust in Government: The initiative could improve relations between taxpayers and the administration.
• Encouraging Workforce Participation: Fishback cited a report from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve, which estimates that 7 million working-age men in the U.S. are not employed or seeking work. He suggested that a dividend program could motivate them to re-enter the job market.

While Musk has yet to provide a concrete response beyond his brief remark, the proposal has sparked widespread debate over the feasibility and impact of redistributing government savings directly to taxpayers.