Javier Milei, Argentina’s new president, has done the unthinkable: transformed a collapsing economy in mere months. Once deemed “El Loco” by sceptics in the media, Milei has slashed over 3,000 regulations, eliminated bloated ministries, and restructured the nation’s economy, stunning experts who believed his drastic measures would lead to disaster.
In an in-depth two-hour conversation with Lex Fridman, Milei outlined his strategy, one rooted in his unabashed disdain for big government and bureaucracy. Taking office with Argentina staring down a staggering 17,000% projected inflation, Milei had no patience for the gradualist reforms favoured by the establishment. “I hate the state. I hate socialism. I despise violence,” he declared. With a metaphorical chainsaw in hand, he cut through decades of entrenched inefficiency, proving that even the most unwieldy bureaucracy could be dismantled with enough resolve.
Within his first month, he enacted reforms so sweeping that even his critics were caught off guard. 50,000 government jobs vanished, half the ministries were dissolved, and thousands of restrictive regulations disappeared. The impact was almost immediate: inflation, predicted to spiral out of control, plummeted to 2.4%. For the first time in over a century, Argentina achieved a budget surplus, and an economy long seen as doomed began showing signs of revival.
Milei’s daily counter, displaying regulations eliminated, became a symbol of his relentless drive. As he took an axe to government waste, he silenced the chorus of naysayers who believed the system was too vast and complicated to fix so quickly. Instead of the anticipated chaos, Argentina saw results.
Now, Milei’s success story is catching the attention of global heavyweights like Elon Musk. Rumours swirl of multiple meetings between Milei, Musk, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. They aren’t just intrigued by Argentina’s economic turnaround; they’re keen on replicating his methods. Musk’s interest goes beyond admiration, extending to his aspirations for Dogecoin (DOGE), the cryptocurrency he’s promoted for years. It’s whispered that the Milei model could serve as a blueprint for DOGE, with Musk exploring ways to implement Milei’s counter-system of visible, rapid regulation cuts in the world of digital currency.
Milei’s blunt advice to Musk and DOGE was characteristic of his no-nonsense approach: “Cut to the chase. Push it to the very limit. Remove every privilege.” His words resonate with those seeking a fresh approach in a world where change is often bogged down by politics and bureaucracy. As Musk and Ramaswamy study Milei’s tactics, a new playbook for reform is beginning to emerge.
What makes Milei’s blueprint so compelling isn’t just the eye-popping numbers but the pace and method. In a political landscape where reform is typically slow and incremental, Milei’s decisive action stands as a powerful counterexample. It’s a wake-up call for leaders who insist that change must come at a snail’s pace. Instead, Milei showed that with courage and a willingness to discard bureaucratic bloat, transformation can be swift and effective.
This revolutionary approach is making waves far beyond Argentina’s borders. Washington, D.C., bureaucrats, used to the safety of status quo governance, are reportedly alarmed. The notion that a country could cut 15% of its bureaucratic bulk in 30 days is sending shivers down the spines of those who benefit from government largesse. As Milei’s methods gain traction, U.S. politicians are forced to confront uncomfortable questions about their own inefficiencies.
Trump, Musk, and Vivek aren’t just passively observing. They’re actively engaging with the Milei model, considering how it could apply in their respective arenas. While Milei’s impact has been most directly felt in Argentina, the ripple effects are undeniable, signalling a shift in how economic reform could be approached globally.
What Milei has demonstrated is that courage and conviction, when combined with a clear vision, can yield spectacular results. Whether or not Musk’s DOGE experiment or similar strategies in the U.S. find equal success remains to be seen, but the message is unmistakable: radical reform doesn’t require decades or concessions to corruption. Sometimes, all it takes is the will to wield the economic chainsaw.
