Since his decisive victory in the US presidential elections last year, President-elect Donald Trump has been piecing together the incoming White House administration by naming his picks for various government roles. While the names drawn out of the hat have been a predictable mix of MAGA favourites like Stephen Miller and Republican mainstream-ers such as Scott Bessent, the wildcards in Trump’s lineup for his second term have been the tech figures from Silicon Valley. As his inauguration draws closer (January 20), here is a look at the who’s who of Trump’s team poised to influence the country’s tech policies over the next four years. Vice President-elect JD Vance: Vance is considered to be well-connected in Silicon Valley and reportedly shares a close relationship with tech investor Peter Thiel. When he was first announced as Trump’s running mate, political observers said that he could serve as the White House’s liaison with the tech industry. In the past, Vance has publicly called for Google to be broken up and has also praised incumbent FTC chair Lina Khan's efforts to rein in big tech companies. David Sacks: Trump has created a new position for former Paypal COO David Sacks in his Cabinet: ‘White House AI & Crypto Czar’. He has also been picked to chair the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology as well as the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets (also known as the Crypto Council). Sacks is expected to roll back the curbs imposed on the crypto industry and prioritise innovation by taking a soft-touch regulatory approach to AI. Brendan Carr: Trump has tapped Brendan Carr to serve as the chair of the country’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As FCC chair, Carr is expected to crack down on the alleged over-moderation of online content by limiting the scope of Section 230 of the Communications Act, which grants tech companies legal immunity from third-party content on their platforms. He does not need to be confirmed by the US Senate. Andrew Ferguson: Andrew Ferguson, Trump’s choice to chair the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has also openly questioned the growing power of tech giants. “At the FTC, we will end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech,” he had posted on X. Ferguson will inherit several antitrust lawsuits and investigations against big tech companies that are already underway. He can assume his role immediately after January 20. Gail Slater: Slater is a veteran conservative lawyer who was recently named by Trump to head the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division. She will have to work closely with Ferguson in the handling of antitrust probes against big tech companies. She previously used to serve as Vance’s advisor and is seen as a Trump loyalist who will help him push his tech policy agenda. However, Slater needs to be confirmed by the US Senate first. Michael Kratsios: Kratsios was recently announced as the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He is Trump’s chief technology officer (CTO) and worked on his tech policy transition team along with Gail Slater. He is the ex-managing director of Scale AI, an AI data management startup. Lynn Parker: Parker has been named as executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. She has previously worked as Trump's deputy CTO and founding director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office. Tech advisors of Trump 2.0 Elon Musk has been tasked with running a newly created body called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) along with entrepreneur-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy. Both of them laid out their plans for the advisory body in a lengthy article published in The Wall Street Journal. Their primary focus is expected to be cutting trillions from the federal budget and restructuring government operations. However, Musk also owns prominent businesses such as SpaceX and Tesla. As a result, his high-profile role could give him an edge in government dealings. Sriram Krishnan has been named as a senior AI policy advisor for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He is a general partner at global VC firm Andreessen-Horowitz, with previous stints at Microsoft, X, Meta, and Snap. Krishnan’s appointment and his pro-immigration views recently triggered a row among Trump’s supporters over skilled immigration and H-1B visas. Several members of Trump’s incoming White House administration reportedly have ties to renowned Silicon Valley venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel. While neither of them have accepted any official roles yet, Andreessen reportedly said that he has been spending about half his time as a “volunteer” at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
