JUST IN: Trump Taps Key Silicon Valley Backer For Administration Role
President-elect Donald Trump has named former PayPal Chief Operating Officer David Sacks to be his White House artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency czar.
“In this important role, David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. “He will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship. He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.”
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Sacks will also be heading up a presidential council of advisors on the science on technology fronts.
Sacks, a former PayPal executive and venture capitalist, emerged as a leading Silicon Valley backer of President-elect Trump during the 2024 campaign cycle. Earlier this year, Sacks hosted a fundraiser for Trump’s campaign at his San Francisco mansion. The event, which drew several prominent figures from the tech sector, added a whopping $12 million to Trump’s war chest.
Attendees included Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Palantir adviser Jacob Helberg, and cryptocurrency exchange founders Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss.
In recent years, Sacks has grown a sizable political following due to his work on the “All In ” podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow venture capitalists Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis and David Friedberg.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of people who support Trump, but they don’t want to admit it,” Sacks said on the podcast in the days following the fundraiser. “And I think that this event is going to break the ice on that. And maybe it’ll create a preference cascade, where all of a sudden it becomes acceptable to acknowledge the truth.”
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