DOGE under Musk unites Trumpworld vets with tech industry giants

Musk and Ramaswamy are reportedly getting advice from others in Silicon Valley on how to organize and staff the commission. 

President Donald Trump has started to announce who will staff the Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting commission initially helmed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, and now led solely by Musk. In addition to significantly paring back the federal budget, DOGE initially said it would aim to roll back regulations and reform government agencies. In an executive order establishing the committee and bringing it inside the government, Trump narrowed its mission to modernizing federal technology systems, but DOGE’s scope in practice remains unclear.

In December, Musk and Ramaswamy shared some specifics on how DOGE will work, promising to staff the advisory board with “a lean team of small-government crusaders.” DOGE’s account on X has said it is hiring for a small number of full-time, salaried roles in engineering, HR, IT, and finance, though Musk previously said that employees will be unpaid. In addition to everyday Americans, titans of Silicon Valley are reportedly involved in the effort.

Though DOGE’s precise structure remains unclear, details of staffing are trickling out.

Staffing details were also sprinkled throughout Trump’s executive order, which said an “Agency Head” would lead the group and each federal department must create a four-person DOGE team. Musk hasn’t announced whether he’ll serve as DOGE’s official leader, nor who will staff the agency teams.

Here are the names to know so far of those who might be involved.

Representatives for Musk and Trump did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

William McGinley

William Joseph McGinley will serve as DOGE’s counsel.

In early December, Trump named McGinley the commission’s counsel on Truth Social. “Bill will play a crucial role in liberating our Economy from burdensome Regulations, excess spending, and Government waste,” he wrote. In his role, Trump said that McGinley would advise the Office of Management and Budget on how to pare down federal bureaucracy.

However, on January 23, McGinley told the Wall Street Journal that he was leaving DOGE, just days after Ramaswamy also decided to step down. He told the Journal that he’s considering private sector opportunities.

McGinley is a Republican lawyer who has served as counsel for the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On November 12, Trump tapped him to serve as White House counsel, but rolled that back without offering an explanation.

The same day he shared McGinley’s initial DOGE role, Trump also said that David Warrington was his new pick for White House counsel.

Musk and Ramaswamy explained in a November Wall Street Journal op-ed how DOGE would use legal precedent. They said they will rely on two Supreme Court rulings to help Trump roll back regulations. Legal experts, however, have told B-17 that the DOGE leaders are misinterpreting the SCOTUS cases and that some of the commission’s work could face legal challenges.

McGinley did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Katie Miller

Trump announced that Katie Miller will join DOGE, though didn’t specify her precise role. 

Trump said in late December that Katie Miller, press secretary for former Vice President Mike Pence and deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term, will join DOGE. She is married to Stephen Miller, Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy and a longtime adviser.

“Katie is a deeply experienced communications professional respected by all,” Trump wrote in a post announcing her appointment. He did not specify her precise role, writing only that she is “joining DOGE!”

Miller responded with her own post on X, writing, “Deeply honored to work for you at DOGE to make our government efficient and accountable.” Musk welcomed her in a comment responding to the post.

A representative for Miller did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Brad Smith

Brad Smith, a healthcare entrepreneur, was a health official during Trump’s first term

A healthcare entrepreneur and former health official during Trump’s first term has been steering DOGE during the transition, a source familiar with DOGE’s planning told B-17. Smith has been focused on staffing DOGE during the transition and works closely with the Office of Management and Budget, the source said.

With his expertise in healthcare policy, Smith may be able to provide insight on reforms to the health care system. His precise role has not yet been publicly confirmed.

Representatives for Smith did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Steve Davis

Davis is reportedly overseeing DOGE’s day-to-day operations. 

Steve Davis is president of The Boring Company, Musk’s company that focuses on digging tunnels. A long-time Musk confidant, Davis is overseeing DOGE’s daily operations, per the Wall Street Journal and other outlets. He has hopped on calls with Musk about the federal budget, sources told the New York Times.

Representatives for Davis did not immediately respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Marc Andreessen

Marc Andreessen, a famed venture capitalist, has said he is helping with DOGE and is reportedly interviewing applicants. 

Marc Andreessen, cofounder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, said that he’s “helping DOGE” in an interview with the New York Times. A representative confirmed his involvement to B-17. Sources told the Times that Andreessen is conducting interviews with applicants, though Andreessen has not specified his precise role. In an interview with the Hoover Institution, Andreessen called himself the “unpaid intern” at DOGE and said the commission is focused on pushing for a return-to-office mandate for government employees.

A representative for Andreessen declined to comment for this article.

Shaun Maguire

Shaun Maguire of Sequoia Capital is reportedly helping with the interview process. 

Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, is interviewing DOGE applicants, per the Times. Maguire has written about DOGE on X, calling it “a cultural movement” in one post and touting some of the commission’s priorities, like return-to-office mandates.

Maguire did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Emil Michael

Emil Michael had been involved regulatory efforts and has since been appointed to the Trump administration.

Former Uber executive Emil Michael was involved in DOGE’s early efforts to reform regulations, the Washington Post reported. In late December, Trump nominated Michael to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, making his future at DOGE unclear.

Michael did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Chris Gober

Musk’s personal lawyer, Chris Gober, is reportedly helping DOGE with legal questions.

As Musk’s personal lawyer, Chris Gober is investigating some of the legal uncertainties about DOGE and its structure, the Times reported. Questions remain about what types of employees Musk and Ramaswamy will be, and the types of conflict of interest laws they will be subject to. Legal experts previously told B-17 that the commission’s co-heads have misinterpreted the Supreme Court lawsuits they have used to justify aspects of DOGE.

Gober did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Rachel Riley

Rachel Riley is a partner at McKinsey, a consulting firm. According to her LinkedIn page, she advises state and federal clients on topics related to “organizational transformation and organizational design for efficiency and speed.” Riley is working alongside Smith, the Times reported.

A representative for Riley declined to comment.

Steve Roberts

Steve Roberts is Ramaswamy’s personal lawyer and a partner at Holtzman Vogel, where he focuses on political committees, campaign finance, and lobbying compliance, according to the firm’s website. Alongside Gober, he’s helping address some of the legal questions facing DOGE, a source familiar with DOGE’s staffing told B-17. His involvement was first reported by the New York Times.

With Ramaswamy’s departure from DOGE, it’s unclear whether Roberts remains involved. He declined to comment.

Matt Luby

Ramaswamy’s chief of staff and longtime friend Matt Luby is involved in DOGE’s efforts as well, per the Times. Luby calls Ramaswamy a “childhood friend” on his LinkedIn page and writes that he helped devise plans on “how to reorganize federal agencies” during Ramaswamy’s presidential bid. Luby’s status at DOGE is unclear now that Ramaswamy has left the group.

Luby declined to comment for this article.

Joanna Wischer

Joanna Wischer is a policy and speechwriter for Trump and served as a senior policy analyst during his first term, according to her LinkedIn page. She is also involved in DOGE in an unspecified role, the Times reported.

Representatives for the Trump transition team did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

Baris Akis

Baris Akis is one of the tech executives helping with the interview process at DOGE, per the Times. The co-founder and president of Human Capital, a venture capital firm, Akis is a tech investor and has traveled to West Palm Beach during the transition, the outlet reported.

Akis did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.

James Burnham

James Burnham is among those providing legal advice to DOGE, the Times reported. He was a former official at the Department of Justice and a Senior Associate Counsel to the President, according to his biography on the Federalist Society website.

Burnham did not respond to B-17’s request for comment.