Elon Musk says a leaderboard of "dumb" government spending will expose waste — and he wants your two cents.
The Tesla CEO said this week that he planned to post a public "leaderboard for the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars."
While the effectiveness of Musk's leaderboard remains to be seen, experts told Business Insider it showed his marketing savvy — even if it could also encourage "gotcha" moments that need more context.
Especially in a dry realm such as government spending, Musk's plans are bound to grab eyeballs — and perhaps make people feel more invested in the outcome.
She said there was some precedent for Musk's leaderboard, noting that former Sen. William Proxmire, a Democrat from Wisconsin, issued the "Golden Fleece Award" for wasteful spending throughout the 1970s and '80s via monthly press releases.
Persons:
Elon Musk, —, Musk, Donald Trump's, DOGE —, he's, Vivek Ramaswamy, Natalie Andreas, Austin who's, Ayelet, didn't, Musk's, Andreas, Karen North, Clinton, Sen, William Proxmire, It's, screwworms —, Amy Jo Kim, Kim
Organizations:
Service, Department of Government, University of Texas, Austin, University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, Journalism, Stanford
Locations:
Wisconsin