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Elon Musk’s team used Discord and other online chat groups to help recruit staff for the Department of Government Efficiency, according to a report.
Young software engineers reached out to prospective DOGE candidates using chat groups associated with SpaceX interns and former Palantir employees as well as a Discord server associated with a military artificial intelligence program, Wired reported. Messages obtained by the magazine offer the first insights into the recruitment process for the highly scrutinized outside-of-government agency.
Some of the engineers involved in the recruiting process are associated with the data analytics company Palantir, which was co-founded by Peter Thiel, a billionaire Donald Trump supporter and Musk ally.
The engineers posted in the online groups, hoping to find someone willing to work in Washington, D.C. for six months and who had interest in cutting federal spending by a third, messages obtained by the outlet show. They often posted in a chat group and asked interested individuals to reach out to them via direct message.
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One of the three engineers involved in DOGE recruiting is Anthony Jancso, a former Palantir employee, Wired reported. He was reportedly brought on by Steve Davis, who has helped Musk’s cost-cutting efforts at SpaceX, the Boring Company and X and was tapped to lead recruitment efforts at DOGE, Bloomberg reported in December.
A November 26, 2024 message — from the same username Jansco uses for X — said DOGE was looking for “hardcore engineers.”
“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.”
The message was posted in a Discord server linked to the Space Force Generative AI Challenge, which its website describes as an “eight-week combination of AI crash course and problem-solving hack-a-thon that engaged 350-plus participants.”
Weeks later, a message from the same username posted a recruiting message in a Palantir alumni chat group, Wired reported.
“I’m helping Elon’s team find tech talent for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the new admin,” the message read. “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.”
Two profiles with different handles posted in the Palantir alumni group and the Discord server for SpaceX interns with similar messages, emphasizing the job would span six months — likely referring to the 130-day period that “special government employees,” like Musk, are allowed to work.
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Jansco’s X profile says he previously worked at Palantir and co-founded Accelerate SF, which aims to incorporate AI tools into government infrastructure. Jordan Wick, another Accelerate SF co-founder, has a DOGE email address, according to Wired.
Wick was part of the team that had been given access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems, sources told the outlet. On Saturday, a federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing the government systems. In retaliation, Musk called on the judge to be “impeached.”
This order was hardly the first obstacle Musk’s government efficiency team has faced in its first few weeks.
In a separate case, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the U.S. Agency for International Development by thousands. The effort has been publicly backed by Musk, who has baselessly called the agency primarily responsible for providing global humanitarian assistance a “criminal organization.”
The team has also experienced some internal turmoil. A staffer at DOGE quit after his history of racist social media posts was exposed, including offering support for “eugenic immigration policy” and calling to “normalize Indian hate.” Musk said he plans on rehiring him, a move Vice President JD Vance supported.
The tech billionaire wrote on X last week: “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”
The Independent has reached out to Accelerate SF, Wick, Jansco, and the White House for comment.
