• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
TechTech

Musk’s DOGE is shuttering a consumer watchdog, which may clear the way for him to turn X into a payments platform, think-tank boss says

By
Beatrice Nolan
Beatrice Nolan
Tech Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Beatrice Nolan
Beatrice Nolan
Tech Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 13, 2025, 10:00 AM ET
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • Elon Musk’s DOGE wants to “delete” an agency that could have directly regulated one of his businesses. Think-tank leaders are raising the alarm about a potential conflict of interest.

The latest U.S. agency in DOGE’s cost-cutting sights may have directly intersected with Elon Musk’s business interests.

Recommended Video

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector, has been the latest victim of the Trump administration’s war on the federal bureaucracy.

Over the past few days, the agency’s headquarters has been closed, employees have been ordered to stop working, and dozens of probationary employees have been fired, according to the union representing CFPB employees.

The dismantling of the government agency follows a similar pattern to the systematic shuttering of USAID, which was also supported by Musk’s DOGE team.

However, unlike USAID, the CFPB may have information that directly overlaps with Musk’s business interests.

Musk’s X is moving into digital payments

Created after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has regulated both conventional financial institutions and major tech companies, including Apple and Google, as they venture into digital financial services.

Late last month, Musk-owned X announced it was officially entering the digital payments sector—a move that could have met with scrutiny from the CFPB.

The new service, called XMoney, will allow users to transfer money to bank accounts and perform peer-to-peer payments.

The agency has the power to police privacy issues, fraud, and disputed transactions in mobile payment apps like Apple Pay and Google Wallet under broader powers granted last year to supervise “Big Tech and other widely used digital payment apps handling over 50 million transactions annually.”

“Part of this is about clearing the way for Musk to move as quickly as possible, as expeditiously as possible, to spin up his payment app,” Lindsay Owens, consumer advocate and executive director of the economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative, told Fortune. 

Adam Rust, the director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America, also told the Washington Post that the CFPB would likely be looking into the activities of X, which “may be something Musk doesn’t like.”

Owens has also been raising the alarm about the type of data DOGE may have gained access to, including information stored by CFPB related to ongoing supervision, investigation, and enforcement actions.

At least four young staffers gained access to a trove of data, including sensitive bank examination and enforcement records, according to a report from Bloomberg.

“This is where the real conflicts of interest would lie. Because this would be a documentation of things including trade secrets,” she said. “There may be companies who are under investigation or under supervision who have turned over plans for future products.”

Questions have already been raised about a potential conflict of interest between Musk’s various businesses and his DOGE team’s expedition through government agencies.

The billionaire has been classed as a “special government employee” but still has financial interests outside the White House.

“There’s something more sinister potentially afoot in Musk potentially hovering up a ton of information related to his personal business interests,” Owens said. “It could be a real treasure trove for Musk.”

Representatives for Musk, X, DOGE, and the CFPB did not respond to a request for comment from Fortune.

CFPB has been in Big Tech’s firing line

The shutdown of CFPB began late last week when DOGE descended on the agency’s Washington headquarters.

Since then, the CFPB’s official X account has been deactivated, and the homepage of the agency’s website now displays a “404: page not found” error message.

The consumer-focused agency has long been a Republican target and had its scope significantly narrowed during Trump’s first term.

It also appears to have been of particular interest to Musk, even before his cost-cutting team began its foray into the federal government.

In November, the billionaire said in a post on X: “Delete CFPB. There are too many duplicative regulatory agencies.”

Musk isn’t the only tech titan to take issue with the agency.

The CFPB has faced more general opposition in Silicon Valley, recently culminating in a lawsuit from TechNet and NetChoice, two groups backed by Big Tech.

Marc Andreessen has also attacked the agency, accusing it of “terrorizing financial institutions.”

About the Author
By Beatrice NolanTech Reporter
Twitter icon

Beatrice Nolan is a tech reporter on Fortune’s AI team, covering artificial intelligence and emerging technologies and their impact on work, industry, and culture. She's based in Fortune's London office and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of York. You can reach her securely via Signal at beatricenolan.08

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Qualcomm’s big AI gamble: Breaking Nvidia’s chips stronghold 
AIChips
Qualcomm’s big AI gamble: Breaking Nvidia’s chips stronghold 
By Phil WahbaJune 27, 2026
35 minutes ago
Sam Altman and Donald Trump.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI agrees to stagger rollout of its most powerful model to only Trump-approved customers
By Eva Roytburg and Beatrice NolanJune 26, 2026
12 hours ago
gr
PoliticsElections
Anthropic and OpenAI waged a $27 million proxy war in a Manhattan congressional race. The winner told them both to get lost
By Sasha RogelbergJune 26, 2026
12 hours ago
fire
Europeclimate change
Greece tackles climate change wildfire risk with satellite network that can spot a blaze the size of a parking space
By Derek Gatopoulos and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
14 hours ago
AI boom may be on its last legs amid stock volatility and dash for cash—but will go out in a blaze of glory with ‘blow-off phase’ before bubble pops
AItech stocks
AI boom may be on its last legs amid stock volatility and dash for cash—but will go out in a blaze of glory with ‘blow-off phase’ before bubble pops
By Jason MaJune 26, 2026
15 hours ago
m
LawMeta
‘Careless People’ author claims Meta surveilled her for a year to enforce her silence
By Barbara Ortutay and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
Economy
Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
By Nick LichtenbergJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
Economy
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
By Eva RoytburgJune 25, 2026
1 day ago
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
Economy
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
By Tristan BoveJune 25, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 26, 2026
19 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.