{
  "id": 135254,
  "title": "Where are Elon Musk’s former DOGE staffers now?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/where-are-elon-musks-former-doge-staffers-now",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-04T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91584801/where-are-elon-musks-former-doge-staffers-now"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The aftermath of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has left a trail of former staffers scattered across various sectors. Some have found success in the private sector, while others have transitioned into roles within the government itself.\n\nEdward Coristine, infamous for his alleged attempt to upload Social Security Administration data to an unsecured server, now works at the National Design Studio. This office, established to modernize federal websites, is tasked with making them more user-friendly, visually consistent, and cost-effective.\n\nJeremy Lewin, another DOGE alumnus, didn't immediately leave government service. Instead, he was appointed as the State Department's senior official for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs, and religious freedom. His work there reflects the enduring influence of DOGE's personnel and philosophy.\n\nNate Cavanaugh and Justin Fox, who revamped the U.S. Institute of Peace and conducted an AI-based review of government materials, have now founded a holding company called Special. This venture aims to apply the disruptive methods of DOGE to private businesses through an operating system called SpecialOS.\n\nGavin Kliger, Luke Farritor, Marko Elez, and Jack Stein, co-founders of Special, are not alone in their post-DOGE pursuits. Another collective formed from DOGE former employees, Cathedral, is leveraging AI to enhance U.S. military cyber capabilities. This startup has already attracted significant investment, raising $160 million at a $1.4 billion valuation.\n\nEthan Shaotran, a former DOGE engineer at the Social Security Administration, has also moved on to the defense technology sector. After his tenure at SSA, where he helped deactivate immigrants' Social Security numbers, Shaotran founded Blitz Industries, positioning himself as a defender of American industries.",
  "summary": "As wildfires spread across the United States, the federal government is confronting the consequences of cuts made early in President Donald Trump’s second term. The U.S. Forest Service was among the agencies hit by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and MS NOW reports that the reductions have hampered the government’s response to the blazes. DOGE was created to bring private-sector…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Semafor",
        "title": "Elon Musk rattles the telecom industry",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/elon-musk-rattles-the-telecom-industry",
        "published": "2026-08-06T18:41:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "Alex Gibney's Elon doc isn't even out but Musk is already calling it a 'hit job'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/alex-gibneys-elon-doc-isnt-even-out-but-musk-is-already-calling-it-a",
        "published": "2026-08-06T21:49:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}