President-elect Donald Trump and his group consulted with Trae Stephens, government chairman of protection expertise startup Anduril Industries Inc., underscoring the incoming administration’s plans to shake up the US navy, in accordance with individuals accustomed to the matter.
Trump and different members of his interior circle met Thursday with Stephens to debate methods to remodel the nation’s protection, stated the individuals, who requested anonymity to debate a personal dialog. Stephens, additionally a associate in Peter Thiel’s enterprise capital agency Founders Fund, beforehand labored in help of US intelligence and on Capitol Hill.
A number of outstanding Silicon Valley enterprise capitalists threw their weight behind Trump and his operating mate, US Senator JD Vance, who invested in Anduril’s first enterprise spherical whereas at Steve Case’s agency Revolution. Elon Musk has emerged as Trump’s staunchest ally, spending greater than $100 million on the election effort and lending the marketing campaign credibility amongst many throughout the tech business.
Spokespeople for Anduril had no speedy remark whereas the Trump transition didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Trump has promised to revamp the US protection institution, reducing waste and modernizing how weapons are made and procured. Anduril, valued at $14 billion in its most up-to-date funding spherical, makes underwater autos, surveillance instruments and autonomous weapons techniques, and sees itself as an alternative choice to extra established navy contractors.
Learn extra: Anduril Hits $14 Billion Valuation in New Protection Tech Funding
These adjustments are already beneath manner with a collection of iconoclastic picks for key nationwide safety jobs. This week, Trump named former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as director of nationwide intelligence, Fox Information host Pete Hegseth as protection secretary and staunch loyalist Consultant Matt Gaetz as Legal professional Common. All three will have to be confirmed by the US Senate.
The outreach to Stephens additionally highlights the persevering with affect of Thiel, who supported Trump in 2016 and helped place a number of of his mentees and allies in key roles throughout the first administration.
Michael Kratsios, beforehand a principal at Thiel’s eponymous non-public funding agency Thiel Capital, served as US Chief Expertise Officer earlier than becoming a member of Thiel-backed Scale AI in 2021. He joined the president-elect’s transition group earlier this week to deal with tech coverage, in accordance with Politico. Thiel’s longtime colleague Ken Howery additionally served as Ambassador to Sweden in Trump’s first time period.
Learn extra: AI Is Reshaping the Battlefield and the Way forward for Warfare
Anduril was co-founded by Stephens and Palmer Luckey, one of many creators of the Oculus digital actuality headset and an ardent Trump backer. The corporate has blossomed into an vital US authorities contractor because it vies with conventional protection giants for a bigger piece of nationwide safety enterprise.
Stephens start his profession 20 years in the past engaged on Capitol Hill and for the political affairs workplace on the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington. He graduated from Georgetown College’s Faculty of Overseas Service, in accordance with Anduril’s web site.
