Elon Musk's Silicon Valley Allies Tapped for Trump's Transition Team

Starfolk

Starfolk

November 27, 2024 · 3 min read
Elon Musk's Silicon Valley Allies Tapped for Trump's Transition Team

As Elon Musk takes on a prominent role in Donald Trump's transition team, his Silicon Valley connections are being tapped to lend their expertise. According to reports, several venture capitalists, including Marc Andreessen and Antonio Gracias, are being recruited to help with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a committee aimed at overcoming technical challenges in collecting data about federal programs.

The DOGE committee, which also includes Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of 8VC, is expected to recommend cuts to programs and reduce the number of federal employees. In a Wall Street Journal editorial, Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy explained that the committee also anticipates facing legal pushback. In the near future, the group plans to launch a podcast, as reported by the Washington Post.

Andreessen Horowitz, a VC firm co-founded by Marc Andreessen, has been a long-time supporter of Musk's ventures, including SpaceX and Tesla. The firm has been a significant investor in SpaceX since around 2022 and continues to buy more stock when possible. Andreessen has been vocal about his support for Musk, making his involvement in the DOGE committee a natural fit.

Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz is also being considered for a position on a promised Trump administration crypto advisory council. The council, which will be staffed with executives from the crypto industry, aims to help the U.S. establish crypto policy. Brian Quintenz, head of policy for a16z crypto, has already been advising Trump's team, according to Reuters.

Other venture capitalists being discussed for a spot on the crypto advisory council include Paradigm, an investment firm co-founded by Fred Ehrsam, who previously co-founded Coinbase. Paradigm specializes in crypto and blockchain investments. Coinbase, which has its own corporate arm, Coinbase Ventures, is also interested in the committee, sources told Reuters.

In addition to the DOGE committee and crypto advisory council, former Thiel disciple Michael Kratsios has reportedly been tapped to handle tech policy for Trump's transition team. Kratsios, who served as chief tech officer under the first Trump administration, is known for authoring Trump's 2020 pro-AI investment executive order. Prior to his role in government, he worked for Thiel Capital. Kratsios is currently working at AI company Scale AI, according to his LinkedIn.

The involvement of these Silicon Valley heavyweights in Trump's transition team marks a significant shift in the administration's approach to technology and policy. As the committees begin their work, it will be interesting to see how their recommendations shape the future of government efficiency and crypto policy in the United States.

Despite requests for comment, Lonsdale and a16z could not be immediately reached, and they did not respond to the Washington Post's requests for comment.

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