If you follow technology news closely, or simply scroll through X on a regular basis, you’ve probably picked up on the tension between two of the tech sector’s most prominent leaders: Elon Musk and Mark Cuban.
Since the Tesla (TSLA) CEO shifted his focus toward helping run the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he’s received quite a bit of criticism from people who don’t see DOGE’s actions as being in the nation’s best interest. One of the most vocal and best-known critics is Cuban.
Since he left his position as a judge on Shark Tank in 2019, the serial tech entrepreneur has kept busy with new projects and become an active voice across social media. Since DOGE began making headlines, he’s had plenty to say about Musk’s new endeavor.
While much of it has been negative, Musk recently hinted that he agrees with Cuban about something important.
Tech billionaire Mark Cuban has raised a lot of questions about Elon Musk’s work with DOGE.
The Musk vs. Cuban feud may be taking an unexpected turn
At first glance, Cuban’s history of posts on both X and Bluesky criticizing Musk and DOGE might suggest his beliefs are starkly different from Musk’s. He’s made it clear that he believes some of the department’s actions are ill-advised and, in many cases, fated to end badly.
However, as TheStreet reported on February 15, 2025, Cuban isn’t against some of what DOGE is trying to achieve. He shared a video from 2017 in which he advocated for a smaller, more efficient government, adding new context and stating that years later, he still stands by this argument.
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When he shared it, Cuban noted that he believes the problem with DOGE’s action is a lack of transparency, specifically that the office doesn’t want to be questioned. “If you have nothing to hide, hide nothing,” he mused.
Musk didn’t seem to notice this video at the time despite spending what seems like a considerable amount of time on social media, specifically on X. But when the video resurfaced again on March 20, he reposted it with a caption indicating that he agreed with Cuban’s statements.
Good idea 😂 https://t.co/GLwCRZ4db0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 20, 2025
Since Musk didn’t offer much context when he shared the post, it’s quite possible he hasn’t seen Cuban’s original statements, in which he asked Musk directly, “Why not invite some democrats to work side by side with your Doge teams and report on what exactly is going on?”
Cuban is known for offering solutions when he publicly calls out a problem. Earlier this month, he suggested that some federal government employees who have seen their positions terminated by DOGE form a consulting firm for when their services are inevitably needed again.
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In this case, he reposted Musk’s response to the video and clarified that he is open to working with Musk, stating, “Happy to help !”
Will Musk and Cuban ever work together in the future?
Despite this recent exchange, it doesn’t seem like Musk will offer to bring Cuban on board to help DOGE complete its mission more efficiently. But given his unpredictable nature, it is difficult to predict exactly what he will do.
Musk’s response to the video may have been sarcastic in nature, but that doesn’t change the fact that he and Cuban seem to be advocating for the same thing, even if they disagree on the best way to achieve it: a more efficient U.S. government.
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Musk doesn’t have a history of working closely with his critics, despite his claim to support free speech. As the New York Times reports:
“Mr. Musk has [] fired workers at X who criticized him. In the wake of his $44 billion takeover of the company, then called Twitter, in 2022, several employees posted critiques of the billionaire on the platform. Mr. Musk argued with some of them online, and they were later fired.”
While Musk may not be open to working with Cuban, it seems that his online adversary will be amenable to offering his expertise to DOGE if the offer is ever extended to him.
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