President Trump has hired Michael Kratsios, former chief of staff at billionaire Peter Thiel’s company, to work as deputy chief technology officer with the White House Office of Science or Technology, according to multiple reports.
Thiel offering his top aide to the White House comes after months of supporting Trump behind the scenes. The Paypal co-founder stumped for Trump during a speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, last summer.
Kratsios’ predecessor, Alexander Macgillivray, came to the Obama administration from Twitter, while Trump’s pick has a venture capital background. Kratsios previously worked as chief financial officer of another Thiel organization, Clarium Capital Management.
The White House has not filled the position for chief technology officer, though the last person in the deputy position outlined what needs to be done in the next administration.
“All of it is stuff we’re rushing to get done. Everything from cybersecurity to making sure we’re tackling inequality, that we’re working on some of the interesting long-term things, like artificial intelligence,” Macgillivray told TechCrunch last September.
