Mapping Trump's ties to right-wing tech barons
President-elect Donald Trump has surrounded himself with a tight-knit group of wealthy tech barons who will help define his second term in the White House.
President-elect Donald Trump has surrounded himself with a tight-knit group of wealthy tech barons whose ideas will help define his second term in the White House.
Three key allies — members of a group known as “the PayPal Mafia” for their involvement in the money-transfer company two decades ago — seem to be shaping policy and staffing decisions in Trump’s incoming administration, and they are part of an expansive right-wing tech network that will accompany Trump back into power.
The network is highly interconnected, sharing not only a political alliance but also social ties, investment opportunities, anti-regulatory ideas and geographic proximity in Austin, Texas, or Northern California. Some of their friendships and professional connections go back decades, and almost all the members of the network are men.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been called the “shadow president” or “first buddy,” and he wants to take a hatchet to the federal budget at Trump’s request as co-lead of the newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” with biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
David Sacks, a tech investor and podcaster, will have the role of Trump’s tech “czar,” advising him on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
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