Billionaire Elon Musk's deputies have gained access to a sensitive Treasury Department system responsible for trillions of dollars in U.S. government payments after the administration ousted a top career official at the department, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe government deliberations.

On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved access to the Treasury's payments system for a team led by Tom Krause, a Silicon Valley executive working in concert with Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency," the people said.