The Blubber

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are seeking volunteers for their ambitious and unofficial government initiative, according to The Washington Post, citing individuals familiar with their plans.

The billionaire entrepreneur and the former Republican presidential candidate have reportedly been meeting with prominent figures from Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley. Over the past week, they have been networking in the capital and at Mar-a-Lago, key hubs in the emerging political landscape. President-elect Donald Trump recently appointed Musk and Ramaswamy to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a subcommittee chaired by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Now, they are leveraging their connections to recruit top talent, particularly from Silicon Valley.

The outreach list includes high-profile names such as venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, and former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Additionally, Antonio Gracias, a former Tesla board member, and Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, are said to be involved. Both Gracias and Davis have longstanding ties to Musk’s ventures.

This group is reportedly focused on addressing technical challenges, such as collecting and analyzing data on federal employees and government programs. Andreessen, according to The Washington Post, is specifically helping to recruit talent for this effort.

DOGE’s mission centers on cost-cutting and workforce reduction in government. "We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as outside volunteers, not federal officials or employees," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. "Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we won’t just write reports or cut ribbons. We’ll cut costs."

In addition to assembling their team, Musk and Ramaswamy are reportedly lobbying for allies, including Russell Vought, who is set to head the White House Office of Management and Budget under Trump. Vought, a close associate of Ramaswamy, is seen as a key partner for their agenda. In their op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy wrote, "We are assisting the Trump transition team in identifying and hiring a lean team of small-government crusaders, including some of the sharpest technical and legal minds in America."

Loyalty appears to be a critical factor in their efforts. Musk has been a vocal supporter of Trump, serving as a campaign surrogate, appearing at rallies, and even establishing a political action committee that spent $200 million to support Trump’s re-election. Ramaswamy, after dropping out of the presidential race, also endorsed Trump. Figures like Andreessen and Ackman have publicly aligned themselves with both Musk and Trump.

On Election Day, Musk tweeted, “America is a nation of builders. Soon, you will be free to build.” Andreessen replied, “It’s time to build,” echoing the title of his influential essay from four years ago.