The man who first proposed that Department of Government Efficiency savings be passed on to citizens in the form of dividend checks is stepping away due to Elon Musk's personal attacks directed at President Donald Trump.
Azoria Investment CEO James Fishback, the chief architect behind the suggested DOGE checks, told Politico he’s stepping away from the movement.
"The truth is that Elon set expectations that he relayed to the president, me, and the country that he did not come close to fulfilling. That’s disappointing, but okay," Fishback said.
"What’s not okay is his baseless personal attacks against President Trump."
It was reported in February that Fishback, who never officially joined DOGE, promoted the "DOGE Dividend," a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer. The checks were to be funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE.
The proposed stimulus check, meant to incentivize the public to report government waste, could provide taxpayers with up to $5,000 if approved, Newsweek reported.
Stating that DOGE was targeting $2 trillion in government savings, Fishback proposed returning $400 billion to taxpayers.
Fishback, who pitched his idea on social media in February, suggested that the first checks come in July 2026, when DOGE was expected to terminate, or they could come earlier if the proposal becomes law, the New York Post reported.
A day after Fishback first suggested the DOGE Dividend, Trump global financiers and tech executives in Miami that his administration was considering returning 20% of savings identified by DOGE to Americans. He also said he was considering using another 20% of the savings to pay down the federal government's debt.
In December, Fishback introduced a new anti-woke investment fund that will mirror the S&P 500 index, except it will not include companies he said uses diversity quotas in hiring and promotions. He made the announcement at Trump’s Mat-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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