The Blubber

The proposal for a "DOGE dividend," which would allocate 20% of government savings to taxpayers, has gained backing from President Trump and Elon Musk, and could potentially become law, The Post has learned.

James Fishback, a 28-year-old hedge fund manager behind the idea, told The Post that he met with Musk last week and began discussing the proposal with lawmakers earlier this week.

"The president supports this, and Elon likes the idea of motivating people to report waste, fraud, and abuse," Fishback said. "The proposed bill will be coming in the next few days."

Fishback first shared the concept of the DOGE dividend on X (formerly Twitter), where Musk later voiced his support by “quote tweeting” the idea.

According to Fishback's plan, households that are net taxpayers—those who contribute more to the government than they receive in benefits—would receive 20% of all savings generated by DOGE. Another 20% would go toward reducing the national debt, while the remaining 60% would likely be directed to the federal budget each year, although Fishback doesn't specify this detail.

Fishback estimates that if Musk can cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, about 79 million households would each receive a $5,000 check.

Fishback previously suggested the first check could be issued when DOGE ends in July 2026, but he added that if the proposal becomes law sooner, Americans might receive payments even earlier.

The idea gained momentum after Fishback first posted about it on X, and Musk expressed his support by sharing the post. Trump also endorsed the concept in a recent speech.

While some economists have raised concerns that a dividend could drive inflation, similar to the impact of stimulus checks during the pandemic, Fishback argues that his targeted approach will avoid such problems.

"Sending checks isn’t inflationary … lockdowns and labor shortages compounded the effect of inflation [during COVID]," he said. "But the macro backdrop today is disinflationary."

He compared it to the tax refund season, when the average IRS refund check of $3,100 is often used for savings, paying off debt, or as a rainy-day fund. Since the DOGE checks would go only to tax-paying households, Fishback believes they would also encourage people to return to work, unlike the stimulus checks issued during the pandemic.