{"id":152426,"date":"2025-02-25T22:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T22:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/25\/the-people-in-elon-musks-doge-universe-techcrunch-2\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T22:25:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T22:25:00","slug":"the-people-in-elon-musks-doge-universe-techcrunch-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/25\/the-people-in-elon-musks-doge-universe-techcrunch-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The people in Elon Musk&#8217;s DOGE universe | TechCrunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">Elon Musk has spent decades building a universe of companies that has served as an incubator for up-and-coming engineers and a proving ground for his inner circle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That universe \u2014 an ecosystem of Silicon Valley tech titans, veterans of his companies like Tesla and SpaceX, and a crop of fresh-faced hackers and software engineers \u2014 has now collided with the U.S. federal government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dozens of individuals who work under, or advise, Musk and the Trump-ordered Department of Government Efficiency \u2014 individuals who TechCrunch has identified or confirmed independently \u2014 reflects more than the billionaire\u2019s proclivity to collect talent. They are a real-life illustration of Musk\u2019s web-like reach in the tech industry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TechCrunch set out to report on or confirm the individuals working as Musk representatives in the U.S. government. Importantly, we\u2019ve sought to show the connections between them, and how and when they entered Musk\u2019s orbit. Along the way, TechCrunch has made some new discoveries, including new details about DOGE and its workers and <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/18\/elon-musk-staffer-created-a-doge-ai-assistant-for-making-government-less-dumb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an xAI-powered chatbot on a DOGE-related website subdomain<\/a> that is hosted on a Musk acolyte\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-we-got-here\"><strong>How we got here<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TechCrunch interviewed people who have worked with Musk and DOGE staffers. We used public and open source data, such as historical internet records and chat logs, to confirm parts of our reporting. We also relied on services like the Internet Archive\u2019s Wayback Machine to access archived copies of websites that are no longer online. Public information, such as court records, payments transactions, other media reports, and past TechCrunch reporting were also used.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TechCrunch reached out to all those named for an opportunity to comment. For those whose contact information we did not have, TechCrunch contacted known representatives, including the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When reached for comment, a White House spokesperson provided a statement to TechCrunch. (The spokesperson sent the email \u201con background,\u201d but we are publishing in full as we were given no opportunity to decline the terms.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDOGE is fulfilling President Trump\u2019s commitment to making government more accountable, efficient, and, most importantly, restoring proper stewardship of the American taxpayer\u2019s hard-earned dollars. Those leading this mission with Elon Musk are doing so in full compliance with federal law, appropriate security clearances, and as employees of the relevant agencies, not as outside advisors or entities. The ongoing operations of DOGE may be seen as disruptive by those entrenched in the federal bureaucracy, who resist change. While change can be uncomfortable, it is necessary and aligns with the mandate supported by more than 77 million American voters,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a living document, as the DOGE team<strong> <\/strong>is likely to expand and evolve over the coming weeks. Scroll down to learn about the individuals in the DOGE universe, which have been broken down by type: Musk\u2019s inner circle; senior figures; worker bees; and aides, some of whom are advising and recruiting for DOGE.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>If you know more about DOGE, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contact TechCrunch securely<\/a>. You can also share documents via <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/got-a-tip\/#h-securedrop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SecureDrop<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-option-2\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\" id=\"inner-circle\"><strong>Inner circle<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\" id=\"elon-musk\"><strong>Elon Musk<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> DOGE Lead, Unpaid \u201cSpecial Government Employee\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gravitas. Obsession. Ambition. Risk-taker.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elon Musk observers and sycophants have pointed to these traits to explain his rise from a bright-eyed immigrant landing in the United States to one of the world\u2019s richest and most powerful people, and now a right-hand to President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The overlooked secret sauce is Musk\u2019s ability to get talented people to sign on to \u201cthe mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That there are multiple, overlapping, and evolving missions \u2014 saving the planet through sustainable transport and energy, solving traffic, making humanity multiplanetary, or protecting public conversation \u2014 doesn\u2019t really matter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest carrot was, and has always been, Musk\u2019s \u201cus versus them\u201d framing, according to five sources who had lengthy stints at Tesla and spoke to TechCrunch on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past, the \u201cthem\u201d might be local regulators, the press, or legacy automakers. Today, the people working closely with Musk to complete his next mission via the Department of Government Efficiency have a new \u201cthem\u201d to battle: waste and bureaucrats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Musk has talked at length about government agencies that should be \u201cdeleted entirely.\u201d Meanwhile, Musk\u2019s companies have benefited from government contracts and incentives. His company SpaceX has been awarded more than $20 billion in contracts from NASA, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/search\/?hash=f30963fb1f2aadd463dfe0310f9f398e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according to data<\/a> from USASpending.gov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Musk is an unpaid special government employee, according to the White House. Per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25537961-joshua-fisher-declaration-re-musk-wh-employment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a filing on February 17<\/a>, the Trump administration said Musk is a White House employee and a senior advisor to the president. According to the Trump administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/establishing-and-implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">executive order<\/a>, DOGE is a temporary government organization whose authorities are set to expire in July 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"steve-davis\"><strong>Steve Davis<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Long-time Musk insider<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Davis is a long-time Musk confidant. He began working at SpaceX as one of its earliest employees in 2003 after earning a master\u2019s degree in aerospace engineering from Stanford University, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2024-12-27\/who-is-steve-davis-elon-musks-go-to-cost-cutter-is-working-for-doge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according to the Los Angeles Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By 2016, Musk tapped Davis to run what at the time was his newest far-fetched idea: An underground transit play known as The Boring Company. On his watch, The Boring Company raised hundreds of millions of dollars and built a few short so-called \u201cTesla tunnels\u201d in Las Vegas. But the company has also ended up dropping its previously announced plans for tunnels in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnel-traffic-11669658396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis has a reputation as a relentless negotiator, and Musk brought him on board at Twitter to help with the takeover and subsequent slash-and-burn. Davis and his family reportedly slept in a makeshift bedroom at the company\u2019s headquarters during this time. In a 2023 lawsuit against Twitter filed by former employees, the plaintiffs alleged that Davis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25536314-steve-davis-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">said to the effect of,<\/a> \u201cwe don\u2019t have to follow those rules,\u201d in response to a request to get permits to install a bathroom for Musk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis has served as a member of the board of advisors of the Atlas Society, a group centered around the philosophy of Ayn Rand, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2019-11-15\/elon-musk-s-boring-co-is-run-by-a-former-bar-owner-who-can-quote-ayn-rand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">per Bloomberg<\/a>. Davis is now helping Musk slash government headcount, which Rand once <a href=\"https:\/\/newideal.aynrand.org\/ayn-rand-on-the-welfare-states-real-villains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">called<\/a> the \u201cworst part\u201d of the \u201cproducers\u2019 burden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nicole-hollander\"><strong>Nicole Hollander<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>X employee<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nicole Hollander garnered public attention in the aftermath of <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/06\/05\/elon-musk-twitter-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Elon Musk\u2019s $44 billion acquisition<\/a> of Twitter in early 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The George Washington University alum and former employee of real estate developer JGB Smith (per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nicole-h-472b9a6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">her LinkedIn profile<\/a>) was part of the polarizing Twitter transition team that upended the company and slashed its workforce. As part of that transition, Hollander and Musk ally <a href=\"#steve-davis\">Steve Davis<\/a> moved into the company\u2019s headquarters with their infant, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25536656-arnold-v-x-corp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a civil lawsuit<\/a> filed in 2023. The lawsuit was filed by several former Twitter employees against X Corp., the Musk entity that took over. The plaintiffs said in the complaint Hollander was not employed by any of Musk\u2019s companies at that time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hollander\u2019s relationship with Davis \u2014 and her current employment at X \u2014 has kept her in Musk\u2019s circle. Her role at DOGE doesn\u2019t have an official title, at least one that is public. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-lackeys-general-services-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Wired<\/a> reported in late January that Hollander has high-level access to federal agencies and an official government email address.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"brian-bjelde\"><strong>Brian Bjelde<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> Senior Advisor, Office of Personnel Management<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brian Bjelde is a true Elon Musk veteran, with 21 years at SpaceX, where he was employee No. 14 and continues to work today. While he started as an avionics engineer, Bjelde has spent the last decade running the company\u2019s human resources department.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a 2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/spacex\/comments\/4vt74k\/i_am_spacex_employee_14_aerospace_engineer_and_vp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Reddit \u201cask me anything,\u201d<\/a> Bjelde said that at SpaceX, \u201cWe try not to limit our thinking except by the limits imposed by physics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several former employees sued SpaceX and Musk in 2024 alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25536664-elon-muskspacex-harassment-suit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">According to the complaint<\/a>, Bjelde once starred in a video for the space company where a staffer spanked him \u2014 an apparent attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor \u2014 and he also was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-06-12\/elon-musk-sued-by-former-spacex-employees-for-sexual-harassment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">involved in the firings of several employees<\/a> who spoke up about the company\u2019s culture in 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to SpaceX, Bjelde spent a year at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory after graduating from the University of Southern California with a master\u2019s degree in astronautical engineering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At DOGE, Bjelde is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/musk-aides-lock-government-workers-out-computer-systems-us-agency-sources-say-2025-01-31\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly<\/a> a senior advisor at OPM.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"amanda-scales\"><strong>Amanda Scales<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Chief of Staff, Office of Personnel Management<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amanda Scales doesn\u2019t directly work for DOGE, but is now chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government\u2019s main human resources department, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25536221-opm-memo-amanda-scales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">an OPM memo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scales used to work on talent acquisition at Musk\u2019s company x.AI until January 2025, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amandascales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">her LinkedIn profile<\/a>. She also worked in human resources and talent at San Francisco-based VC firm Human Capital, as well as at Uber. Scales graduated from University of California, Davis in 2012 with degrees in psychology and economics, per her LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-text-color has-green-300-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-green-300-background-color has-background is-style-option-2\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"senior-figures\"><strong>Senior figures<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"amy-gleason\">Amy Gleason<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Acting DOGE administrator<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amy Gleason is the acting DOGE administrator, according to the White House, making Gleason the official albeit ostensible head of the Department of Government Efficiency, even if Elon Musk is largely calling the shots.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/25\/doge-has-an-official-acting-administrator-and-its-not-elon-musk-white-house-confirms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">confirmed Gleason\u2019s position to TechCrunch<\/a>. Gleason previously served at the U.S. Digital Service \u2014 now DOGE \u2014 between October 2018 and December 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile, which TechCrunch has seen. Gleason also previously worked as chief product officer at Russell Street Ventures between December 2021 and November 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gleason reports to the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, per <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/establishing-and-implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\">the executive order establishing DOGE<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"jehn-balajadia\"><strong>Jehn Balajadia<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Long-time Musk assistant<\/p>\n<p>Jehn Balajadia first joined the Musk ecosystem in 2017, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jehn-balajadia-76b141247\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">her LinkedIn profile<\/a>, which lists her title as operations coordinator at The Boring Company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But LinkedIn records don\u2019t always reflect actual positions \u2014 and their evolution \u2014 in Musk\u2019s world. In 2018, Balajadia took over the executive assistant to the office of CEO position, a role that included managing all of Musk\u2019s activities and often those of his family members, according to interactions between a TechCrunch reporter and SpaceX and Musk employees at the time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, Balajadia has a role within DOGE. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/07\/us\/politics\/musk-doge-aides.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The New York Times<\/a>, she is listed in the employee directory of the Education Department.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The book \u201cBreaking Twitter\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/tech\/member-elon-musks-entourage-told-142826449.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claims<\/a> Balajadia once told another Musk official that her job was to \u201ctake care\u201d of him, and she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/12\/23\/business\/elon-musk-trump-family-friends-backers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly<\/a> often travels with Musk. When Musk took over Twitter, Balajadia was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/elon-musk-current-twitter-org-chart-leadership-list-2023-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">named chief of staff<\/a>, and she was the one who delivered letters of dismissal to several Twitter executives, per <a href=\"https:\/\/dannybooboo.com\/elon-musk-book-summary-review-spark-notes-cliff-walter-isaacson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Walter Isaacson\u2019s book<\/a> on Elon Musk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to joining Tesla, Balajadia worked at Red Bull, NBCUniversal, and Walt Disney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"riccardo-biasini\"><strong>Riccardo Biasini<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> Senior Advisor to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Riccardo Biasini entered into Musk\u2019s orbit in 2011 when he joined Tesla as an engineer after completing his master\u2019s degree in automotive engineering from the University of Pisa, Italy the previous year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his five years at Tesla, Biasini focused much of his attention on Autopilot, the company\u2019s branded advanced driver assistance system, according to his own account <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.comma.ai\/a-message-from-the-new-ceo-of-comma-ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">outlined in a Medium post<\/a>. He led development of Autopilot\u2019s traffic-aware cruise control and other driver assistance features before taking responsibility for the architecture of controls, safety, and functional behavior of the electric propulsion system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biasini left Tesla and joined Comma.ai in 2016, where he developed the automated lateral and longitudinal controls for the startup\u2019s first self-driving car system. He later became VP of quality and eventually was named CEO in 2018 after founder George Hotz stepped down from the leadership role. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biasini went back to work for Musk in 2019 as director of electrical and software engineering at The Boring Company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At DOGE, Biasini is senior advisor to the director of the Office of Personnel Management, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25536317-biasini-court-doc\/?q=biasini&amp;mode=document#document\/p9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according to a lawsuit<\/a> filed against the OPM in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which provides his title as listed on an OPM document entitled \u201cPrivacy Impact Assessment for Government-Wide Email System.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"christopher-stanley\"><strong>Christopher Stanley<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Unspecified role at White House<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanley began working for Musk in October 2022, per his LinkedIn profile, when he was hired for the \u201ccore transition team\u201d at Twitter after Musk\u2019s takeover. Stanley <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1593899029531803649\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">can be seen at the time taking this widely seen selfie<\/a> at Twitter\u2019s headquarters with other people who were not fired or quit when Musk took control of Twitter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanley has since taken on an unspecified role at the White House, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/29\/us\/politics\/elon-musk-trump-administration.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according to The New York Times<\/a>. Stanley himself has hinted at working in the Trump administration on his X account.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On January 20, the day of Trump\u2019s inauguration, Stanley <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/cstanley\/status\/1881553608321425485\/photo\/2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">posed next to two January 6 convicts<\/a>, brothers Matthew and Andrew Valentin, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.poconorecord.com\/story\/news\/local\/2025\/01\/21\/andrew-matthew-valentin-released-trump-jan-6-pardons\/77845517007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">were pardoned<\/a> by Trump. Stanley wrote in an X post that he was \u201cboots on ground to ensure this was executed.\u201d Trump\u2019s Department of Justice liaison Paul Ingrassia <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PaulIngrassia\/status\/1881552252596551918\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">wrote on X<\/a> that the Valentin brothers were the first January 6 prisoners to be released.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanley is also the head of security engineering at X and the principal security engineer at SpaceX, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250214205557\/https:\/cstanley.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">his website<\/a>. On his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stanleynetworks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LinkedIn<\/a>, Stanley says he is also the chief information security officer at X Payments, a payment service that Musk <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/08\/06\/x-twitter-payment-service-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has wanted to launch<\/a> as part of his \u201ceverything app\u201d aspiration for X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before entering Musk\u2019s orbit, Stanley had his own cybersecurity firm, named Stanley Networks, and worked as a contractor at the state of Kentucky. He also worked at Kentucky health provider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baptisthealth.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Baptist Health<\/a>, which includes hospitals and other facilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TechCrunch found an xAI-powered chatbot on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25531892-doge-chatbot-on-stanleys-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a DOGE-related website subdomain<\/a> on Stanley\u2019s website, called the \u201cDepartment of Government Efficiency AI Assistant,\u201d which says it is \u201chere to help government personnel like you identify and eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and streamline processes using a first principles approach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-option-2\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"worker-bees-at-doge\"><strong>Worker bees at DOGE<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"akash-bobba\"><strong>Akash Bobba<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> Expert, Office of Personnel Management<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Akash Bobba is a DOGE engineer who is reportedly a student at the University of California, Berkeley, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-government-young-engineers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Wired<\/a>. The New Jersey native graduated high school in 2021, according to public records seen by TechCrunch. It\u2019s unclear how his experiences brought him to DOGE. But he has had some interactions with the tech world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/lift-off-with-aman-manazir\/id1742843726\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">since-deleted podcast<\/a> with Aman Manazir, Bobba said he previously interned at Meta and Palantir. He also worked at Bridgewater Associates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bobba\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/wheregoes.com\/trace\/20251022774\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">website<\/a> as of February 2025 points to a specific point in <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5RpPTRcz1no?t=61&amp;si=eudMcmSNEs98snAF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a YouTube video<\/a>, titled, \u201cHow Tech Billionaires Plan to Destroy America,\u201d in which Elon Musk says, \u201cI\u2019m not just MAGA. I\u2019m dark gothic MAGA.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-government-young-engineers\/\" target=\"_blank\">Per Wired<\/a>, Bobba is listed as an \u201cexpert\u201d in internal OPM correspondence, and reports directly to OPM\u2019s chief of staff, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-government-young-engineers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Amanda Scales<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"edward-coristine\"><strong\/><strong>Edward Coristine<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Special Government Employee<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Edward Coristine, a former intern at Neuralink and now known by his infamous LinkedIn profile handle \u201cbigballs,\u201d is one of the core members of the DOGE team and the youngest-known Musk aide at age 19, TechCrunch has confirmed. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since arriving in Washington, D.C., Coristine has been actively involved in accessing federal systems at several government departments, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.muskwatch.com\/p\/musk-associates-given-unfettered\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Office of Personnel Management<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lbarronlopez\/status\/1886491276729544809\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SBA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-02-07\/musk-s-doge-teen-was-fired-by-cybersecurity-firm-for-leaking-company-secrets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">GSA and USAID<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2025\/02\/10\/musk-doge-state-department-surrogate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">State Department, Homeland Security, and FEMA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to DOGE, Coristine ran several companies under his name from his family home in New York, including <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/diamondcdn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">DiamondCDN<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250211161835\/https:\/packetware.net\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Packetware<\/a>, both which offered forms of <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/01\/31\/techcrunch-reference-guide-to-security-terminology\/#distributed-denial-of-service-ddos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DDoS<\/a> protection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coristine also used to work for DDoS mitigation company Path Network until he was fired in June 2022 following an alleged \u201cleaking of proprietary company information that coincided with his tenure,\u201d Path CEO Marshal Webb told TechCrunch in an email. Coristine said in a later Discord post under his handle \u201cRivage,\u201d seen by TechCrunch and per other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-02-07\/musk-s-doge-teen-was-fired-by-cybersecurity-firm-for-leaking-company-secrets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">news<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/edward-coristine-tesla-sexy-path-networks-doge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reports<\/a>, in response to his firing that he had done \u201cnothing contractually wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was around May 2024 that Coristine went to work for Elon Musk\u2019s Neuralink. Coristine is also a mechanical engineering and physics student at Northeastern University, and <a href=\"https:\/\/huntnewsnu.com\/83444\/campus\/northeastern-student-identified-as-engineer-for-elon-musks-department-of-government-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">expected to graduate<\/a> in 2028.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"marko-elez\"><strong>Marko Elez<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> Special Government Employee, U.S. Treasury<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since joining DOGE, Marko Elez has become a central figure in a legal battle over DOGE\u2019s access to some of the federal government\u2019s most sensitive systems. Now as a senior Treasury employee, Elez has access to the U.S. Treasury\u2019s payments systems responsible for disbursing around $6 trillion in federal funds to Americans, such as Social Security checks and federal tax refunds. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Named in a lawsuit challenging DOGE\u2019s access, Elez is a \u201cspecial government employee\u201d and reportedly had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/treasury-department-doge-marko-elez-access\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">wide data access privileges<\/a> to the department\u2019s systems before that access was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-02-11\/judge-says-treasury-data-limit-applies-to-doge-not-bessent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">curtailed by a federal court<\/a>. He works closely with <a href=\"#tom-krause\">Tom Krause<\/a>, another DOGE staffer and senior Treasury employee. Per a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25520796-court-filing-on-feb-11-related-to-elezs-access-to-treasury-systems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">February 11 court filing<\/a>, Elez is the only DOGE staffer with access to payment systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before government, the 25-year-old Rutgers University graduate worked at SpaceX, where he focused on vehicle telemetry, Starship, and satellite software, according to an archived copy of his website seen by TechCrunch. Elez later worked on search AI at Musk\u2019s social media company X, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20241126001445\/https:\/markoelez.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">per an archived copy of his website<\/a>. Elez does not list any prior government experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On February 6, Elez briefly resigned from his position at DOGE, according to the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/tech\/doge-staffer-resigns-over-racist-posts-d9f11a93\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">after The Wall Street Journal<\/a> surfaced racist posts from Elez\u2019s social media accounts. Elez may return to government after Musk <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c93q625y04wo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">posted a poll on X<\/a> asking whether Elez should be rehired. Elez has been reinstated at DOGE, a Washington Post reporter <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/jeffstein.bsky.social\/post\/3liiaswr4422u\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">posted<\/a> on February 18.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"luke-farritor\"><strong>Luke Farritor<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Senior Advisor, DOGE<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luke Farritor is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextgov.com\/people\/2025\/02\/doge-deputies-land-state-department-tech-bureau-usaid-emails\/402888\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">listed<\/a> as a senior advisor in several U.S. government department employee directories, including the State Department, USAID, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eenews.net\/articles\/third-doge-official-crops-up-at-energy-department\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Department of Energy<\/a>. He also requested access to data held by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/feb\/05\/musk-doge-takeover-usaid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Medicare and Medicaid<\/a>, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/ip-law\/doge-backed-halt-at-cfpb-comes-amid-musks-plans-for-x-digital-wallet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before government, Farritor, 23, was a student at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and was well known for <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/07\/one-of-elon-musks-young-doge-engineers-explains-how-he-won-the-700k-vesuvius-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decoding the writings on ancient Roman scrolls<\/a>, for which he won a $700,000 prize. Later, Farritor was among the 2024 Thiel Fellowship class, an annual award given by the billionaire Peter Thiel. An <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20241224162333\/https:\/lukefarritor.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">archived copy of Farritor\u2019s website<\/a> says he worked for Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, who he helped to \u201cinvest a large, multistage VC fund and help run AI Grant.\u201d (Neither Friedman or Gross responded to a request for comment.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Farritor worked as an intern at Elon Musk\u2019s satellite internet company Starlink in mid-2022, then went on to work at SpaceX between May 2022 and July 2023, where he worked on \u201cseveral mission-critical projects\u201d leading up to Starship Flights 1 and 2, per his website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"gautier-cole-killian\"><strong>Gautier \u2018Cole\u2019 Killian<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE \u201cVolunteer\u201d; Federal Detailee<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gautier \u201cCole\u201d Killian is described as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-government-young-engineers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">DOGE \u201cvolunteer\u201d<\/a> who was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eenews.net\/articles\/doge-aide-pops-up-in-epa-staff-directory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">designated a \u201cfederal detailee\u201d<\/a> at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in early February. A federal detailee is a federal employee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/survey-manual\/3703008-details-and-temporary-assignments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">usually seconded<\/a> from another government agency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Killian was a student at McGill University in Canada where he studied math and computer science, and was a member of <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250212122939\/https:\/mcgillai.com\/team\/2021-2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">McGill\u2019s AI team<\/a> between 2021 and 2022. His personal website was scrubbed from the internet in late 2024, according to his website\u2019s public DNS records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"gavin-kliger\"><strong>Gavin Kliger<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Special Advisor to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gavin Kliger is an alum of University of California, Berkeley, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/johnhyatt\/2025\/02\/07\/one-of-elon-musks-doge-bros-is-currently-an-employee-at-ai-unicorn-databricks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">works at Databricks<\/a>. Kliger joined the DOGE team earlier in 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kliger is listed as special advisor to the director of the OPM on his LinkedIn profile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/staffer-with-elon-musks-doge-amplified-white-supremacists-online-2025-02-07\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">per Reuters<\/a>, though much of Kliger\u2019s online life, including his X account, has since been scrubbed from the internet, including the Wayback Machine, which archives copies of webpages in case they later become unavailable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A copy of Kliger\u2019s resume that TechCrunch has seen said he previously interned at Twitter in mid-2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to an email sent to USAID staff, Kliger also has a USAID email address, and was one of the DOGE staffers who is <a href=\"https:\/\/nteu335.org\/2025\/02\/07\/cfpb-union-nteu-335-spies-dodgy-doge-bros\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">now listed in the CFPB\u2019s staff directory<\/a>, according to the CFPB\u2019s union.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tom-krause\"><strong>Tom Krause<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Special Government Employee, U.S. Treasury; CEO, Cloud Software Group<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom Krause is a special government employee and a senior DOGE staffer in the U.S. Treasury. He concurrently serves as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crn.com\/news\/cloud\/2025\/krause-keeps-citrix-parent-ceo-role-amid-work-with-treasury-musk-s-doge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">the chief executive<\/a> of Cloud Software Group, a private company that owns several tech firms, including remote access giant Citrix, a once public outfit that went private through a series of deals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bloomberg <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/features\/2025-02-10\/musk-s-doge-pick-led-cybersecurity-cuts-at-citrix-hacks-followed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reports<\/a> that Krause eliminated jobs at Citrix that staff said were critical to the security of the company\u2019s products<strong>,<\/strong> according to multiple employees both named and unnamed for the story. Cloud Software Group told Bloomberg it inherited weaknesses at Citrix and faced rising security threats across the industry, and that cybersecurity has improved since its private equity buyout and meets or exceeds all industry standards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before becoming CEO of Cloud Software, Krause, who is 47, was a former executive at Broadcom; prior to that he <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200221080421\/http:\/thkrause.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ran a consultancy firm<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since working at the Treasury as one of Musk\u2019s DOGE front-line staffers, Krause has worked closely with <a href=\"#marko-elez\">Marko Elez<\/a>, another senior Treasury employee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"jeremy-lewin\">Jeremy Lewin<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> DOGE Staffer<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeremy Lewin is a DOGE staffer assigned to the General Services Administration, which oversees the federal government\u2019s massive procurement and logistics operations, Bloomberg <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-02-03\/behind-doge-s-standoff-at-usaid-desk-searches-and-elon-musk-calling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reported<\/a>. Lewin reportedly failed to gain access to a secure GSA area, resulting in a superior of his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/feb\/05\/musk-doge-takeover-usaid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">lobbying the CIA<\/a> for a clearance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lewin is a 27-year-old Harvard Law School graduate who recently worked at the same law firm, Munger, Tolles &amp; Olson, as did U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance, The Handbasket <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehandbasket.co\/p\/doge-jeremy-lewin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nikhil-rajpal\"><strong>Nikhil Rajpal<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE Staffer<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nikhil Rajpal studied computer science and history at the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as the president of the libertarian-leaning student political group, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130830090557\/http:\/\/calsfl.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Students for Liberty<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20180107064911\/http:\/\/nikrdc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">archived snapshots<\/a> of his website, Rajpal worked at Twitter from 2016 until some time before Musk\u2019s acquisition. He may have first entered Musk\u2019s orbit prior to this, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/doge-engineer-noaa-data-google-musk-climate-project-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly<\/a> doing work redesigning a Tesla console.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On behalf of DOGE, Rajpal works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has a DOGE email address. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"kyle-schutt\"><strong>Kyle Schutt<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> DOGE Technologist<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schutt is a technologist with longstanding links to Republican politics and was more recently linked to political operations by Elon Musk. Schutt <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropsitenews.com\/p\/doge-fema-funding-access-social-security-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly has access<\/a> to systems at FEMA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250207041301\/https:\/\/github.com\/kschutt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">his since-deleted GitHub profile<\/a>, which TechCrunch has seen, Schutt works at a company called Outburst Data. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/samwcyo\/status\/1889527715029557607\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">security researchers<\/a>, Outburst Data hosts part of <a href=\"https:\/\/doge.gov\/join\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">DOGE\u2019s website<\/a> and several other Musk-related sites, including <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/06\/elon-musk-donated-more-than-260-million-to-elect-donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his America PAC political fundraiser<\/a>. TechCrunch has also seen the same DNS records, which reference <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25524633-kyle-schutt-doge-subdomain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a DOGE-named subdomain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On February 14, 404 Media <a href=\"https:\/\/www.404media.co\/anyone-can-push-updates-to-the-doge-gov-website-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reported a flaw<\/a> that it said allows anyone to edit DOGE\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schutt also serves as the chief technology officer at Revv, an online fundraising platform that is widely used by the Republican Party, as well as co-founder of Virginia-based software company KAMM.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ethan-shaotran\"><strong>Ethan Shaotran<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> DOGE Staffer<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ethan Shaotran, 22, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/07\/23\/success\/harvard-online-cost-student-decision\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">California native<\/a>, is a DOGE staffer and also a Harvard University student in the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250204131222\/https:\/devpost.com\/software\/ballotproof-vision\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">class of 2025<\/a>. Shaotran was first publicly linked to Musk in September 2024, when he was runner-up in <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/xai\/status\/1846989686549696900\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a hackathon<\/a> run by the billionaire\u2019s AI company xAI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shaotran was previously the founder of Energize.ai, though its website no longer loads. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200105170334\/https:\/apps.apple.com\/us\/developer\/ethan-shaotran\/id1049171468\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">developed several iPhone apps<\/a>, including a Donald Trump-themed running game called \u201cDonald Dash.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shaotran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-lackeys-general-services-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly<\/a> has a working GSA email address and requested access to a decade\u2019s worth of GSA data. Shaotran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/elon-musk-doge-team-education-department-rcna191244\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">also has access<\/a> to email systems at the Department of Education and access to the department\u2019s back-end website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"jordan-wick\"><strong>Jordan Wick<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE Staffer<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jordan Wick is a former Waymo software engineer who appears to have a DOGE email account associated with the Executive Office of the President, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-doge-recruiting-palantir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Wired reported.<\/a> Wick is among the team that was given access to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wick is also the co-founder of Y Combinator startup Intercept, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ycombinator.com\/companies\/intercept\/jobs\/9ZQ9ila-software-engineer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">YC\u2019s website<\/a>. An <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230425175642\/https:\/jordanwick.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">archived version<\/a> of Wick\u2019s website says that as of 2022, he had \u201crecently\u201d graduated with a master\u2019s degree in engineering from MIT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"christopher-young\"><strong>Christopher Young<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> DOGE Staffer<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Young is a DOGE staffer who was given a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau email address, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/ip-law\/doge-backed-halt-at-cfpb-comes-amid-musks-plans-for-x-digital-wallet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">per Bloomberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That address was reportedly copied in an email about four other DOGE workers needing to be onboarded and provided with CFPB building access. Young is a \u201ctop Republican field operative\u201d who was hired as Musk\u2019s political advisor in 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/12\/23\/business\/elon-musk-trump-family-friends-backers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The New York Times reported<\/a>. Young has worked in Republican politics since at least 2007, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-young-37047339\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">his LinkedIn profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-option-2\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aides-advisors\"><strong>Aides and advisors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"marc-andreessen\"><strong>Marc Andreessen<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>Unofficial<strong> <\/strong>Advisor to DOGE<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marc Andreessen, the co-founder of Silicon Valley VC firm Andreesen Horowitz, doesn\u2019t formally work for DOGE but has acted as \u201ca key networker for talent recruitment\u201d at the agency, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2024\/11\/24\/musk-ramaswamy-doge-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according<\/a> to The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andreessen has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HooverInst\/status\/1879251881597472913\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">jokingly referred<\/a> to himself as an \u201cunpaid intern\u201d for DOGE, as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"george-cooper\"><strong>George Cooper<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE Recruiter<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooper is a Palantir engineer who worked on DOGE\u2019s recruiting efforts in late 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-doge-recruiting-palantir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according to Wired<\/a>. He graduated from Pennsylvania\u2019s Lehigh University in 2019 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science and business, according <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/gcooper120\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">to his LinkedIn profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooper worked to hire other Palantirians to join DOGE as they are \u201cthe most exceptional people I know,\u201d he wrote in a message, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-doge-recruiting-palantir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">seen by Wired<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vinay-hiremath\"><strong>Vinay Hiremath<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE Recruiter<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hiremath, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/vinay-hiremath-founder-finding-purpose-after-loom-exit-atlassian-2025-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">32<\/a>, is the co-founder of video recording startup Loom, which was <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/10\/12\/atlassian-to-acquire-former-unicorn-loom-for-975m\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sold to Atlassian in 2023<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/10\/18\/was-looms-975m-exit-a-fair-price\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$975 million<\/a>. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250216195819\/https:\/\/vinay.sh\/i-am-rich-and-have-no-idea-what-to-do-with-my-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">blog post<\/a> on his website titled \u201cI am rich and have no idea what to do with my life,\u201d Hiremath worked for DOGE in late 2024 for about a month making hundreds of recruiting calls. He wrote that he was added to DOGE-tied Signal groups and \u201cimmediately put to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Hiremath praised DOGE\u2019s work as \u201cextremely important,\u201d Hiremath said he quit as he needed to focus on himself, calling off plans to move to Washington, D.C. and going to Hawaii instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"anthony-jancso\"><strong>Anthony Jancso<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE Recruiter<\/p>\n<p>Jancso is a former Palantir software engineer who also worked on DOGE\u2019s recruitment efforts late in 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/elon-musk-doge-recruiting-palantir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">according to Wired<\/a>. In 2023, Jancso <a href=\"https:\/\/venturebeat.com\/ai\/accelerate-sf-meet-the-former-tech-employees-who-want-to-use-ai-for-social-good-in-san-francisco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">co-founded<\/a> Accelerate SF, an initiative that taps engineers to solve the city\u2019s problems with AI. Jancso\u2019s exact age isn\u2019t public, but he graduated from University College London in 2021 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in economics according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ajancso\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">his LinkedIn profile<\/a>, seen by TechCrunch. Jancso was himself recruited to DOGE by Boring Company president <a href=\"#steve-davis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steve Davis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"michael-kratsios\"><strong>Michael Kratsios<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role: <\/strong>DOGE Recruiter<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kratsios helped lead efforts to staff DOGE in late 2024, conducting interviews of prospective staff, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-12-19\/elon-musk-taps-loyalists-to-boost-staffing-for-doge-effort\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bloomberg reported<\/a>. Kratsios was previously managing director of Scale AI and the <a href=\"https:\/\/trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov\/people\/michael-kratsios\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">chief technology officer<\/a> of the United States under President Trump\u2019s first term. He was also a principal at Thiel Capital, a VC firm founded by Peter Thiel, from 2014 to 2017, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michaelkratsios\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">his LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"katie-miller\"><strong>Katie Miller<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Role:<\/strong> DOGE Advisor &amp; Spokesperson<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Katie Miller is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-names-former-staffer-katie-miller-musk-led-doge-panel-2024-12-22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Trump-appointed advisor to DOGE<\/a>, and has served as its spokesperson. Miller served in the first Trump administration and is the spouse of Trump\u2019s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller. Miller also serves on a presidential advisory board <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/02\/president-trump-announces-the-presidents-intelligence-advisory-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">related to intelligence matters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<a href=\"#article-top\">back to top<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"contact-techcrunch\"><em>To <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contact TechCrunch securely<\/a> about DOGE, reach out via Signal and WhatsApp. You can also share files and documents via <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/got-a-tip\/#h-securedrop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SecureDrop<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This was originally published February 18, 2025, and will be updated regularly. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/25\/the-people-in-elon-musk-doge-universe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elon Musk has spent decades building a universe of companies that has served as an incubator for up-and-coming engineers and a proving ground for his inner circle. That universe \u2014 an ecosystem of Silicon Valley tech titans, veterans of his companies like Tesla and SpaceX, and a crop of fresh-faced hackers and software engineers \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":152427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-152426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}