Musk, born in 1971, is a businessman known for his key roles in the space company SpaceX and the automotive company Tesla, Inc. He is also known for his ownership of X Corp. (the company that operates the social media platform X, formerly Twitter), and his role in the founding of the Boring Company, xAI, Neuralink, and OpenAI. Musk is the wealthiest individual in the world; as of December 2024, Forbes estimates his net worth to be $430 billion.

Elon Musk came to the U.S. in 1992 to study at the University of Pennsylvania, and later became a citizen in 2002. Musk, who is also a Canadian citizen through his mother, earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and physics before he moved to California in 1995 to attend Stanford, but never enrolled in classes.

Musk's actions and expressed views have made him a polarizing figure. He has been criticized for making unscientific and misleading statements, including COVID-19 misinformation, affirming antisemitic and transphobic comments, and promoting conspiracy theories. His ownership of Twitter has been controversial because of large employee layoffs, an increase in posts containing hate speech, misinformation and disinformation on the website, and changes to website features, including verification.

By early 2024, Musk became active in American politics as a vocal and financial supporter of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, becoming his second-largest individual donor in October 2024.

After winning the election in November 2024, Trump announced that he had chosen Musk along with Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead his planned Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory board, which is tasked with removing regulations in order to reduce expenditures and increase government efficiency.

Ramaswamy, born in 1985, is an American entrepreneur and politician. In 2014, he founded Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company. In February 2023, he announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination in the 2024 United States presidential election. However, he suspended his campaign in January 2024 after placing fourth in the Iowa caucuses and subsequently endorsed Donald Trump’s candidacy.

Ramaswamy, born in Cincinnati to Indian immigrant parents, holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard University and a law degree from Yale Law School. Before founding Roivant Sciences, he worked as an investment partner at a hedge fund and later co-founded Strive Asset Management.

Ramaswamy views the United States in the midst of a national identity crisis, attributing it to the rise of “new secular religions” such as COVID-ism, climate-ism, and gender ideology. He is also a critic of environmental, social, and corporate governance initiatives.

As of January 2024, Forbes estimated Ramaswamy’s net worth to be over $960 million, primarily derived from his investments in biotech and financial businesses.

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump appointed Ramaswamy and businessman Elon Musk to lead the newly proposed Department of Government Efficiency.

Thiel, born in 1967, is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. He co-founded PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund. Notably, he was the first outside investor in Facebook. As of July 2024, his estimated net worth stands at $11.2 billion, placing him at 212nd on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Thiel’s diverse career includes working as a securities lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, a speechwriter for former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett, and a derivatives trader at Credit Suisse. In 1996, he founded Thiel Capital Management, and in 1998, he co-founded PayPal alongside Max Levchin and Luke Nosek. Thiel served as PayPal’s CEO until its acquisition by eBay in 2002 for a staggering $1.5 billion.

A conservative libertarian, Thiel has made significant contributions to American right-wing figures and causes. However, his acquisition of New Zealand citizenship in 2011 sparked controversy due to the relatively short duration of his residency, which amounted to only 12 non-consecutive days, falling short of the standard requirement of 1,350 days.

Through the Thiel Foundation, he oversees Breakout Labs and the Thiel Fellowship, which support non-profit research in fields like AI, life extension, and seasteading. In 2016, he funded Hulk Hogan in the Bollea v. Gawker lawsuit, a response to Gawker’s disclosure of his homosexuality, which led to Gawker’s bankruptcy and its founder’s financial ruin.

Koch, born in 1935, is an American billionaire businessman. As of February 2024, he ranks 23rd on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with an estimated net worth of $64.9 billion.

Koch has been the co-owner, chairman, and CEO of Koch Industries since 1967, alongside his late brother David Koch, who served as executive vice president. Together, they owned 42% of the conglomerate. The brothers inherited the business from their father, Fred C. Koch, and expanded it significantly. Koch Industries holds the distinction of being the largest privately held company in the United States based on revenue, as reported by Forbes.

Koch is also a prominent philanthropist and supports various libertarian think tanks, including the Institute for Humane Studies, the Cato Institute, the Ayn Rand Institute, and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He actively contributes to the Republican Party and its candidates, as well as libertarian groups and numerous charitable and cultural institutions. Notably, he co-founded the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute.

Koch identifies as a classical liberal and has previously been a libertarian. He strongly opposes corporate welfare and advocates for minimal government involvement in the economy. His core principle is to maximize private sector influence and individual freedoms. He worries about excessive government regulation, fearing it could lead to the greatest loss of liberty and prosperity since the 1930s. He also emphasizes the long-term consequences of drastic government overspending and the decline of free enterprise on social and economic well-being.

Sacks, born in 1972, is a South African-American entrepreneur, author, and investor in internet technology companies. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University in 1994 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 1998.

He currently serves as a general partner of Craft Ventures, a venture capital fund he co-founded in late 2017. Additionally, he co-hosts
the popular podcast “All In” alongside Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, and David Friedberg.

Prior to his current roles, Sacks held significant positions in the tech industry. He served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and product leader of PayPal, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and success. Furthermore, he founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yammer, a leading social networking platform. In 2016, he took on the interim CEO position at Zenefits for a period of ten months.

In 2017, Sacks further demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by co-founding Craft Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund that aims to support promising startups in the technology sector. His angel investments have been equally impressive, having backed companies such as Facebook, Uber, SpaceX, Palantir Technologies, and Airbnb.

In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump recognized Sacks’ contributions by appointing him as the White House AI and crypto czar for the incoming administration.