Before Elon Musk and his chainsaw, there was Mitch Daniels “the Blade.” The former Indiana governor and Office of Management and Budget director under President George W. Bush, Daniels established a reputation in the early 2000s as a knife to government.

Elon Musk's speculation about dead or fictitious employees comes after numerous federal workers were told to ignore an email asking them to justify their jobs. Previous government reviews found no evidence of widespread payroll fraud.