Elon Musk Is Officially an Employee of the US Government — but He's Not Getting a Paycheck

A White House spokesman confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that the Tesla and SpaceX founder is a “special government employee” and will not receive a paycheck for his service.

The government has historically used the “special government employee” classification for temporary workers who bring a particular expertise but do not intend to be employed permanently.

Special government employees are not subject to the ethics and conflicts of interest rules that government employees typically encounter. Musk’s companies, particularly Tesla and SpaceX, have benefited significantly from government contracts.

According to federal law, special government employees cannot serve for more than 130 days in a 365-day period.