How to benefit the effect of the Silicon Valley in Washington, the technical elite

Elon Musk is not the only billionaire of power on federal agencies that regulate his business. Since Donald Trump took office, more than ten employees, allies and investors in Musk, Peter Thiel, Marc Andressen and Palmer Luckey played roles in federal agencies, which helped to direct billions in contracts to their companies.

The companies they own, founded or invested by Musk, Thiel, Andressen, and Lucky have collected more than ten federal decades, totaling about $ 6 billion since Trump’s opening in January. Wall Street Magazine Analysis. They are actively following billions of dollars.

These dates, which are in departments that oversee, organize, and grant them to the four men’s companies, raise a number of red flags. It can violate laws that oppose interests or government ethics regulations, both of which prevent federal employees from using the General Office to achieve special gains.

Although it is not unusual to install the trusted allies in government roles, the Musk network has moved at an unprecedented rate and size. Teccrunch has already been reported People in the world of musk Those who joined him in Duj, where federal agencies were closed and the workforce lowering the departments organizing his work. at least 19 others With silicon valley connections, whether they are institutional or investors, also join DOGE.

“The second Trump administration is in the first reality in recent years that does not impose any kind of additional ethics guarantees on high -level appointed,” Daniel Winner, director of the Brennan Center and Government Program Elections Program, told Techcrunch. Refer Trump launched The director of the government’s ethics office and 17 general inspectors who worked in a monitoring and abuse control body, immediately after taking office.

“It is certain that it is possible that you will have the risk that you have people working on things that affect, at least indirectly, their lower lines,” Winner said. “But this is a long -term issue in our government that is not unique in this administration.”

Innovation for accountability

Some may argue that it is logical to employees, Musk, Thiel, Andressen and Lucky to join government agencies. The informed are talented individuals behind the advanced technology that the government needs honestly, and they understand how to innovate quickly and compete in the world.

More dangerous questions arise when favoritism threatens to undermine competition, when the policy is created or destroyed to protect the market hegemony, or when the regulations that serve the public good are blocked to enhance commercial interests.

For example, the Financial Consumer Protection Office recently has recently retracted the pursuit of the rules that restrict data brokers, despite the increasing concern concerns – a transformation that benefits companies participating in artificial intelligence, monitoring and data analyzes. Another example is the launch of Dog Employees of the National Traffic Safety Administration on highways Those who achieve the safety of independent vehicles, including many investigations in Tesla.

“One of the distinguished structural challenges that the United States government is now is that we have a system in which the richest interests have a lot of power to form our elections, then rotate and form the government’s policy,” Winner said.

Another Silicon Valley, Mike Kratsosius – a former employee of Thil – is now leading the technology policy of the United States government. In a speech in April, he talked about getting rid of the bad regulations that “weighing Mustablina”, especially those who create artificial intelligence.

“Many people in the Silicon Valley tend to believe that everything that was working in the Silicon Valley will also work to manage the United States government,” Winner said. “As we see now, the danger is that many people will suffer because of the assumptions they make.”

“The fact that you have a successful emerging after the failure of five others does not necessarily mean that you know how to manage social security.”

An interior network and a reward outside

All companies between Musk, Thiel, Andressen and Lucey are linked. Musk’s Spacex was supported by the Thiel and Andressen’s A16Z (which also invested in X and XAI). Both VCS also supported Andol, the start of defense Loki.

The intertwined network of founders, financiers and familiar with many federal agencies extend. In many cases, these agencies direct billions of dollars in federal contracts to those companies.

The magazine found that throughout Washington, people from the Musk network, including Tesla, X and Spacex, in more than ten agencies, from the CEO of the President and the Personnel Management Office to the Ministry of Transport and Energy Management.

Spacex staff are also in agencies that can provide the company with new business. For example, the magazine stated that the Spacex engineer, Theodore Malaska, obtained a concession of morals in February allowing him to do a temporary work in the Federal Aviation Administration while still working in the missile company. FAA has not given any contracts to Spacex yet, but Malaska He said on x The agency used Starlink to upgrade the weather in Alaska.

Spacex is also the main commercial provider that transports crew and goods to NASA. Despite the national security concerns – like the company The secret rear door for Chinese investment and Drug use was reported in Musk – Spacex won in April 5.9 billion dollars Through a multi -year contract worth $ 13.7 billion of the American space power to launch the tasks of the Pentagon. The Ministry of Defense, which is currently the Starlink client, plans to buy Spacex Starshield satelliteA military version of satellite on the Internet.

Employees of Thiel -backed companies have found themselves in roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of Administration, Budget, Health, Humanitarian Services and Social Security, according to the Wall Street Journal. Palantir has already received approximately $ 376 million since 2020 from the Ministry of Health and Humanitarian Services. In 2024, the company was also Gave at least $ 1.2 billion in Ministry of Defense Contracts In 2024, he is in the candidacy for A $ 100 million deal.

Anduril, Palantir and Spacex recently submitted a proposal for billions of dollars to the “Golden Dome” program to defend Trump, which will also add to current Anduilil contracts with the American army. Recently, Anduil and Microsoft has acquired a $ 2021 contract of $ 22 billion to develop AR headphones, for each magazine.

One of the CEO Andrill, Michael Obadal, was nominated for a major role in the Ministry of Defense. In revealing his morals, he stated that he would do so Keep the shares of Anduril If appointed.

Techcrunch arrived at Anduril, Andressen Horowitz (A16Z), Palantir and Spacex for comment.

“This type of concentration of private wealth and political power is ultimately fraught with risks to our economy,” Winner said. “Instead of taking the government that aims to enhance competition and enhance economic growth, you are facing the real risks that government decisions will instead on protecting certain companies and certain industries from full economic competition.”