More
    HomeEnglish NewsIndian-Origin Engineer Akash Bobba Joins Elon Musk’s DOGE

    Indian-Origin Engineer Akash Bobba Joins Elon Musk’s DOGE

    Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recruited six young engineers aged between 19 and 24, including Indian-origin engineer Akash Bobba, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and a former intern at Meta and Palantir Technologies. The recruitment of these young engineers, despite their limited experience in public affairs, has sparked concerns over their roles and access to sensitive government information.

    Akash Bobba was part of Berkeley’s prestigious Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology program. Before joining DOGE, he interned at Bridgewater Associates, Meta, and Palantir Technologies, a company co-founded by Musk’s longtime associate, Peter Thiel. According to internal records obtained by WIRED, Bobba and fellow recruit Edward Coristine are listed as “experts” at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and report to Chief of Staff Amanda Scales.

    Both engineers have working emails with the General Services Administration (GSA) and hold A-suite level clearance, which grants them access to all physical spaces and IT systems within the agency.

    The hiring of Bobba and his colleagues has raised alarms within government circles regarding their access to classified data. Musk’s influence in federal agencies has extended to key institutions such as the OPM and GSA, with his staff reportedly gaining control over sensitive government functions, including access to the Treasury Department’s payment system.

    Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, voiced concerns over the lack of accountability of these hires. “We really have very little eyes on what’s going on. Congress has no ability to intervene and monitor what’s happening because these aren’t accountable public officials. This feels like a hostile takeover of the machinery of government by the richest man in the world,” he said.

    There are also fears that security clearance protocols could be bypassed, allowing access to classified information. A WIRED report highlighted that the Trump administration had previously granted temporary security clearances to unvetted individuals, a precedent that could now be exploited.

    Despite these concerns, Bobba has received significant praise from peers. A viral social media post featured a comment from Charis Zhang, a UC Berkeley alumnus, who called Bobba “one of the smartest dudes I have met.” Zhang recounted how Bobba rewrote an entire codebase overnight after an accidental deletion just before a deadline.

    Musk’s growing influence in government agencies has also led to disruptions. CNN reported that two senior security officials at USAID were placed on forced leave after preventing DOGE members from accessing classified documents.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Most Popular

    Recent Comments