"Modern-day da Vinci" — Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary reacts to Elon Musk’s clash with government agendas and his push for perpetual audits

In a Fox News interview clip shared on his Instagram on May 31, 2025, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary discussed Elon Musk’s final day working with the government and addressed the challenges Musk faced while advocating for fiscal reform.

Responding to a question about Musk’s departure and his push for perpetual government audits, O'Leary acknowledged the backlash Musk faced but emphasized the broader impact of his efforts.

“I think he learned a lot from it. I’m a fan. The guy’s a modern-day da Vinci,” O’Leary stated.

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Shark Tank's Kevin O’Leary weighs in on Elon Musk’s push for audits and Washington challenges

Kevin O’Leary acknowledged the political resistance Elon Musk experienced while promoting continuous government audits. Musk had introduced the concept as part of a bipartisan initiative aimed at improving fiscal transparency. O’Leary stated:

“He brought into the consciousness on a bipartisan basis the concept of auditing the government in perpetuity, which I think is a great idea. We call it Dodge.”

Despite support for the idea, its implementation faced complications. The Shark Tank investor said:

“He just said, look, this is obvious to me, here's how we save a billion dollars, and everybody pushed back on him in a vicious manner."

O'Leary indicated that resistance came from various political interests, creating a challenging environment for any outsider attempting structural reform.

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Political environment and public reaction to Musk’s involvement

O’Leary also commented on Musk’s underestimation of political complexity, explaining that Musk would likely admit Washington was much more difficult than he initially expected. According to Kevin, political agendas varied too widely for a single approach to gain unanimous support.

“You got to go in understanding that there's all kinds of different agendas, depending what you're doing,” he said.

Public reaction to Musk’s involvement in government was divided. O’Leary explained that approximately "50% of the market" responded negatively, which impacted Musk's business image. He noted that this reaction ultimately "hurt his brands." The Shark Tank investor also cited extreme examples:

“Keying Teslas, burning dealerships, all this stuff, I don't think he deserved that.”

These incidents, according to Kevin, signaled just how polarizing Musk’s government tenure had become, despite his intentions.

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O’Leary’s summary of Musk’s impact and legacy

Reflecting on Musk’s government stint, O’Leary acknowledged that while Musk did not meet all of his financial goals, he introduced ideas with long-term potential.

“He didn’t achieve a trillion-dollar savings, but had he stayed there long enough, he probably could have done it,” Kevin stated.

Even with the setbacks, the Shark Tank investor emphasized the educational aspect of the experience.

“And I think what you learn about Washington, I've been doing that for three years, it's a nasty place,” he said, referring to the political landscape.

Concluding his thoughts, O’Leary reiterated Musk's broader impact, explaining that although Elon Musk didn't reach his goal of saving a trillion dollars, he likely had the potential to do so if he had remained in his position longer.

Kevin noted that Musk faced significant backlash—what he referred to as “a lot of poo poo”—for his actions. Musk’s government efforts, according to Kevin's observations, may continue to influence reform discussions even after his departure.

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Shark Tank airs on Fridays at 8 PM ET on ABC, with new episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.