The formation of Elon Musk’s recently established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was propelled by a recruitment initiative that involved young software engineers engaging with various online chat groups and Discord servers, as reported by three sources and chat logs reviewed by WIRED. Some of these engineers have ties to the data analytics firm Palantir or its co-founder and board chair—Peter Thiel, a close associate of Musk.
As members of DOGE—comprising primarily younger staffers with minimal or no prior governmental experience—continue to access sensitive information across approximately a dozen government agencies, this represents the first detailed insight into the networks from which the organization has sought talent and the individuals they have turned to for assistance.
In online chat groups affiliated with Palantir alumni and interns from Musk’s SpaceX, as well as within a Discord server related to a military AI initiative, the engineers indicated they were in search of individuals ready to spend six months in Washington, DC, with the goal of reducing federal spending—which constitutes around one-fourth of the US gross domestic product—by one-third.
Anthony Jancso, among the three engineers engaged in the recruitment drive, is a former employee of Palantir. According to sources, Jancso was brought into DOGE by Steve Davis, the president of the Boring Company and a key Musk associate, who Bloomberg reported was overseeing recruitment efforts for DOGE in December.
Palantir, Jancso, and Davis did not respond immediately to requests for comments. The White House also did not provide an immediate comment.
Jancso’s résumé lists him as having graduated from University College London in 2021 and notes his role as a “forward deployed” software engineer at Palantir from December 2021 to May 2023. He is recognized for leading a project called Accelerate SF, which aims to harness AI within the public sector. A 2023 article in VentureBeat noted that this initiative had garnered support from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. By 2024, the project evolved into AccelerateX, which claims to provide “a modern OS for government,” asserting that it “transforms government infrastructure through AI-driven automation and software, delivered within days.”
On November 26, 2024, a message reviewed by WIRED, sent from a user with a handle containing the name Anthony and matching Jancso’s X account, was posted in a Discord server linked to the Space Force Generative AI Challenge—described as an “eight-week blend of an AI crash course and problem-solving hackathon that engaged over 350 participants,” according to its website.
“Assisting the Dept. of Government Efficiency team in finding top-notch engineers,” the post states. “Please send your GitHub/LinkedIn to @DOGE on X and your X handle to me via DM if you’re interested or know someone who might be; this could expedite their entry into the recruitment process.”
In early December, another message from the same user was seen in a chat group for Palantir alumni.
“Hello everyone,” the message stated. “I’m assisting Elon’s team in sourcing tech talent for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the new administration. This represents a historic chance to create a more efficient government and to reduce the federal budget by one-third. If you are interested in being part of this mission, please reach out in the coming days.”
