Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employed a unique recruitment strategy, tapping into online platforms frequented by software engineers connected to Palantir, SpaceX, and military AI projects. This report examines the early networks and individuals involved in DOGE's formation, raising questions about the agency's mission and access to sensitive government data.
The establishment of Elon Musk 's so-called Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ) relied on a recruitment campaign carried out, in part, by young software engineers fanning out across online chat groups and Discord servers, according to three sources and chat logs reviewed by WIRED. Some of the engineers are associated with data analytics firm Palantir or its cofounder and board of directors chair—and Musk ally—Peter Thiel.
As DOGE staffers—many of them young and with little or no government experience—continue to gain access to sensitive data across about a dozen government agencies, this is the first look at some of the networks from which the agency has recruited, and who they relied on to enlist talent. In online chat groups linked to Palantir alumni and SpaceX interns, Musk’s space company, as well as in a Discord server associated with a military artificial intelligence program, the engineers said they were looking for people willing to spend six months in Washington, DC, cutting federal spending—which accounts for around a quarter of the US gross domestic product—by a third. Anthony Jancso, one of three engineers associated with the recruitment effort, is a former Palantir employee. According to sources, Jancso said he was recruited to DOGE by Steve Davis, the Boring Company president and Musk lieutenant whom Bloomberg reported in December was leading recruitment for DOGE. Palantir, Jancso, and Davis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jancso’s résumé lists him as a 2021 graduate of University College London and as having been a “forward deployed” software engineer at Palantir between December 2021 and May 2023. Jancso is best known for leading a project called Accelerate SF, which aims to leverage AI in the public sector. In a 2023 story about a then upcoming hackathon, VentureBeat reported that Accelerate had received support from companies including OpenAI and Anthropic. In 2024, the venture became known as AccelerateX. Purporting to offer “a modern OS for government,” AccelerateX claims it “transforms government infrastructure with AI-powered automation and software, delivered in days.” On November 26, 2024, in a message reviewed by WIRED, a person using a screen name including the name Anthony and the same handle that Jancso uses on his X account posted in a Discord server associated with the Space Force Generative AI Challenge—an “eight-week combination of AI crash course and problem-solving hack-a-thon that engaged 350-plus participants,” according to its website. “Helping the Dept. of Government Efficiency team find hardcore engineers,” the message reads. “Send your GitHub/LinkedIn to @DOGE on X and your X handle to me in DM if you’re interested or know someone who is, could help get them into the pipeline.” In early December, in another message reviewed by WIRED, a person using the same handle posted to a chat group for Palantir alumni. “Hey all,” the message read. “I’m helping Elon’s team find tech talent for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the new admin. This is a historic opportunity to build an efficient government, and to cut the federal budget by 1/3. If you’re interested in playing a role in this mission, please reach out in the next few days.” A person using the handle George Cooper followed on. “Similar to Anthony’s post,” the message read, “I’m also looking to refer people to DOGE. Efficiency will always be an exceptionally hard, complex problem and I personally believe we need the brightest people in the world to wrestle with that problem. I’ve always found Palantirians & ex-Palantirians to be the most exceptional people I know, so who better to confront that challenge. Shoot me a DM (or @Anthony ofc) if you’re interested.” (Reaction to these messages was, a source tells WIRED, “mixed.”) According to an online résumé, George Cooper graduated from Lehigh University in 2019 and has been employed at Palantir as a “forward deployed” engineer since May 2024, following another stint at the company in a similar role from 2019 to 2023. He did not immediately reply to a request for comment. It’s unclear what role, if any, Jancso currently has within DOGE. But one of Accelerate SF’s cofounders, as reported by VentureBeat, is former Waymo software engineer Jordan Wick, who completed undergrad at MIT in 2019 and earned a masters from the school the following year. Wick, according to government records reviewed by WIRED, appears to have a DOGE email account associated with the Executive Office of the President. Two sources tell WIRED that Wick is among the team that has been given access to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau systems and equipment. Wick did not immediately respond to a request from WIRED. Shortly after the email was sent, his online résumé was removed
Government DOGE Elon Musk Palantir AI Recruitment Government Efficiency Department Of Government Efficiency Spacex Military AI Data Access
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