The technologists who helped the Trump administration subvert government

Article author: Julia Black Article compiler: Block unicorn

Foreword:

• Several of the Trump administration’s technology appointees have served in previous presidential administrations, including Michael Kratsios (Donald Trump’s first term), Abel Sutton (Donald Trump’s first term), and Jim O’Neill (George W. Bush).

• Elon Musk’s Government Effectiveness Department recruited former employees from Musk’s companies, some of whom were as young as 19.

• Many of the Trump administration’s tech appointees and advisers were big donors to his campaign, including Musk, Marc Andreessen, Jacob Helberg, and David Sacks.

Silicon Valley is “invading” Washington

So far, Silicon Valley’s “invasion” of Washington has mostly focused on how Elon Musk and his company’s group of young technologists are scouring the federal government for waste. However, employees from other Silicon Valley companies are also playing important roles in the Trump administration.

In fact, you could almost call this administration the “A16Z administration.” Our org chart shows more than two dozen of the top technologists on Trump’s team, including four current or former A16Z partners, who have formal or informal roles in the Trump administration. That includes co-founder Marc Andreessen, who is an adviser to the government effectiveness division led by Musk, and Scott Cooper, who serves as director of the Office of Personnel Management.

Trump plans to nominate Brian Quintenz, policy head of A16Z's crypto team, to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Quintenz said in a post on X on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the firm's Jamie Sullivan is also assisting with the government effectiveness division, while former A16Z partner Sriram Krishnan is an artificial intelligence adviser to the White House. A16Z's influence in the government is so deep that members of its talent team are helping recruit government staff, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The company's involvement once again highlights how high-tech's influence on the U.S. government has risen sharply over the past month. This is particularly evident compared to Trump's first presidency, when he publicly clashed with the tech industry over issues such as immigration and content moderation.

But as his reelection campaign progressed, Trump began to signal that his interests increasingly converged with Silicon Valley’s — including funding big artificial intelligence projects, deregulating crypto markets, overhauling defense procurement and cutting red tape for biotech entrepreneurs.

At the forefront are Musk and his staff at Government Effectiveness, which shuttles through federal agencies and their technology systems, conducting sweeping audits and recommending layoffs. Musk’s deputies — including Steve Davis, Jayne Barahia and Amanda Scales — have stepped away from day-to-day duties at The Boring Company and xAI to assist with Government Effectiveness.

Of course, running the country at the speed of a startup means Musk and his team have ignored questions about conflicts of interest, their handling of sensitive private data and even the legality of their actions. On Tuesday, Musk appeared in the Oval Office with Trump, and the president signed an executive order consolidating the responsibilities of Government Effectiveness.

When asked by reporters about potential conflicts that could arise from his numerous business interests, Musk did not answer the question, instead responding, "We are transparent in all of our actions to the utmost. In fact, I don't know of any organization that is more transparent than the Department of Government Effectiveness."

There are signs that more people from the tech industry will continue to join the federal government. Last week, the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo announcing the redesignation of the senior executive service and chief information officer positions from career positions to political appointments. The change could open the door to these positions for non-traditional candidates from the tech and business fields.

A16Z is not the only investment firm making its mark in the government. 8VC, founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, is drafting policy memos, such as a recent health care report, that appear to be the blueprint for the new administration. And Peter Thiel's array of investment companies have become "gilded schools" for senior officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance.

There are already signs that some tech and business figures may not last long in government positions. Entrepreneurs including Vivek Ramaswamy and Loom co-founders Shahed Khan and Vinay Hiremat have left government efficiency departments within weeks of joining.

For now, some technologists are expressing their excitement about suddenly having government power in their hands. Early Roblox employee John Shedlecki recently summed up the sentiment at X: "Silicon Valley built the modern world. Why can't we run it?"