Unleashing Elon Musk: Inside the Government Takeover by the World’s Richest Man

In a groundbreaking move, President Donald Trump has granted Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, unprecedented authority to unleash his team on federal agencies. Musk’s team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is comprised of employees from Musk’s companies and allies, as well as young staffers he has recruited. These individuals are taking over authority from career workers and seizing control of computer systems within federal agencies.

While some members of Musk’s team have been open about their involvement, others have tried to keep their roles under wraps by scrubbing their LinkedIn pages and other sources of data. With limited information coming from the White House, ProPublica is working diligently to document the identities of those involved and the actions they are taking.

Musk has been vocal about his intentions, describing DOGE as a "wood chipper for bureaucracy" and stating that he is "deleting" agencies. A White House spokesperson has assured that those working with Musk are in full compliance with federal law, possess appropriate security clearances, and are employed by the relevant agencies.

Here are some key individuals identified as part of Musk’s team and their connections to federal agencies:

1. Senior Adviser to the Director – Connected to: Office of Personnel Management

   • Musk link: Worked on Musk’s purchase of Twitter
   • Armstrong is a technology banker at Morgan Stanley who played a role in Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. He now holds an influential position at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which oversees personnel matters across the federal government.

2. Senior Adviser to the Director – Connected to: Office of Personnel Management

   • Musk link: Former engineer at Tesla, executive at the Boring Company
   • Biasini is an engineer and former executive at both the Boring Company and Tesla. He now holds a high-ranking role at OPM and was involved in setting up the government-wide email system used by the Trump administration.

3. Senior Adviser – Connected to: Office of Personnel Management

   • Musk link: Vice president of people operations at SpaceX
   • Bjelde is a long-time SpaceX employee who has been referred to as a "top DOGE Lieutenant." He has been involved in efforts to reduce headcount at OPM and was instrumental in staff cuts at Twitter after its acquisition.

4. Senior Adviser to the Director – Connected to: Office of Personnel Management

   • Bobba was part of a team of young engineers selected by Musk for DOGE. He is listed as an "expert" at OPM and reportedly has access to internal databases.

5. Connected to: General Services Administration

   • Cavanaugh is an entrepreneur with a background in intellectual property management and small-business finance. He has been interviewing GSA staffers as part of the DOGE team.
6. Expert – Connected to: Office of Personnel Management
   • Musk link: Interned at Neuralink
   • Coristine is a recent undergraduate student who interned at Neuralink. He is part of the group of young DOGE staffers detailed to OPM and has been seeking access to internal records at the Small Business Administration.

These are just a few of the individuals involved in Musk’s ambitious efforts to streamline federal agencies. The full extent of Musk’s influence and the impact on government programs serving millions of Americans is still being uncovered. If you have any information about the individuals mentioned or other Musk associates in the federal government, you can contact ProPublica’s tip line for further investigation.