After several months of cutting government contracts, grants, leases and workers, Elon Musk seems to be realizing what budget nerds have long known: His oft-repeated goal of cutting $1 trillion from the federal budget through executive action alone is extremely difficult.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the world's richest individual, has recently experienced a significant decline in his net worth. This downturn is primarily attributed to a substantial drop in