Elon Musk launched a new swipe at Parag Agrawal, the former CEO of X (formerly Twitter), on Saturday, reviving their earlier rivalry. Musk’s remark followed a social media post comparing his tenure at X to his recent position as chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under U.S. President Donald Trump.
The tech billionaire, who is now leading the drive to rationalize the federal government’s workforce, has issued a contentious order asking government workers to explain their work or face job loss.
Musk Criticizes Agrawal On Twitter Leadership
A post on X highlighted Musk’s recent demand for accountability from federal employees, comparing it to an infamous exchange between him and Agrawal before the Tesla CEO acquired Twitter in 2022. The post read, “Almost three years ago Elon Musk asked Parag Agrawal what he got done last week. Now he’s asking every federal worker the same question.”
Musk responded bluntly, “Parag got nothing done. Parag was fired.”
Parag got nothing done.
Parag was fired. https://t.co/69Je8rpYoM
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025
This comment re-ignited speculations regarding the Musk-Agrawal blowout that was before the billionaire acquired the site. Before Elon Musk sealed the deal, Agrawal had complained about Musk’s Twitter trashing. “You are free to tweet- is Twitter dying? Or anything else about Twitter,” Agrawal had put in an internal conversation. “but it’s my responsibility to tell you that it’s not helping me make Twitter better in the current context.”
Musk’s brusque response—”What did you get done this week?”—was widely seen as an indication of his discontent with Twitter leadership, eventually leading to Agrawal’s termination.
DOGE’s Mandate to Federal Employees Sparks Controversy
At the same time, Musk’s most recent action as leader of DOGE has triggered a heated controversy. On Saturday, the Trump administration sent out a notice ordering federal workers to outline their achievements from the previous week by Monday evening. Not complying, with the notice threatened, would be deemed a voluntary resignation.
“All federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk shared on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
His edict comes in the wake of Trump’s push for more dramatic downsizing and reorganizing of the federal government. “that DOGE should get more aggressive in its attempts to downsize and reshape the 2.3 million-strong federal workforce,” Trump declared on Truth Social.
Emails Sent Between Government Agencies
By Saturday night, emails were sent to workers at many federal agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The email subject line was, “What did you do last week?”
The email is said to have asked employees to reply with five bullet points encapsulating their achievements in the previous week in connection with their job while cc-ing their managers. It was written from a human resources email at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and gave respondents until 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday to reply.
However, concerns were raised about the legal basis of such a directive, especially concerning employees who deal with classified or confidential work. Some federal judiciary staff, not belonging to the executive branch, also allegedly received the email, which raised more questions about the implementation of the directive.
Backlash and Legal Implications
Federal officials and legal specialists are questioning whether Musk has the power to fire government workers over their reaction—or inaction—to the email. The message was also sent to employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), despite a recent court order limiting the agency’s mass firings. The court directive, which remains in place, bars the administration from making widespread terminations while the legal proceedings are ongoing.
Critics say that Musk’s action is reminiscent of his management style at X, where he rapidly laid off thousands of employees after taking over. His supporters, on the other hand, commend his push for accountability and see the order as a necessary measure to rid the federal workforce of inefficiencies.
Musk’s Management Style Under Scrutiny
The scandal highlights Musk’s frequently divisive leadership style. Famous for his blunt, no-nonsense demeanor, he has long been an advocate of aggressive measures to increase efficiency, both in his private ventures and now in government affairs.
With the deadline for Monday evening looming, the federal government looks on in suspense to learn exactly how non-conformity will be dealt with and if and when the administration will be pushed back by law. Meanwhile, Musk’s disagreement with Agrawal remains the go-to citation for debates around his management ethos, illustrating once again that his straightforward and insistent style works far beyond the tech world.
