The White House said Elon Musk, the billionaire leading President Donald Trump’s government cost-cutting efforts, will determine if there are conflicts of interest between his work reviewing federal spending and his overlapping empire of six companies.

Elon Musk will work under President Donald Trump as a “special government employee,” designating Musk as an unpaid employee of the federal government with fewer restrictions than full-time employees,

The new Department of Government Efficiency now has access to a federal system responsible for $6 trillion in annual payments.

The Treasury Department said Elon Musk aides detailed to the agency have “read-only” access to its sensitive $5 trillion US payments system and that no payments have been suspended or rejected as part of an ongoing review.

"You should not be surprised that Elon Musk is playing a role in the efficiency of government," U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters.