Founders Fund—Founders Fund network placed over a dozen allies in Trump administration, creating potential conflicts of interest
Bloomberg reported that more than a dozen people with ties to Peter Thiel and Founders Fund were placed in the Trump administration in 2025. These include Founders Fund partner Trae Stephens (considered for Deputy Secretary of Defense), Anduril executive Colin Carroll (Chief of Staff at DoD), Palantir engineer Clark Minor (CIO at HHS), and David Sacks (White House AI and Crypto Czar). ProPublica reported that GSA fast-tracked a contract process favoring Ramp, a Founders Fund portfolio company invested in across seven rounds. The revolving door between Founders Fund's network and the administration raises conflicts of interest as portfolio companies stand to benefit from government contracts influenced by these appointees.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Capture | +toward | secondary | -0.50 |
| Revolving Door | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Undisclosed Conflicts | +toward | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.955 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.72)
Evidence (3 signals)
Revolving Door Project documented systematic Thiel network infiltration of Trump administration
The Revolving Door Project published a detailed investigation of Peter Thiel's influence in the Trump administration, documenting specific personnel placements and the financial interests they serve, including Founders Fund portfolio companies.
ProPublica reported GSA fast-tracked contract process favoring Founders Fund portfolio company Ramp
ProPublica reported that GSA put out a new RFI for a $700 billion payments program on March 20, 2025, leaving it open for less than seven business days. Ramp, which Founders Fund has invested in across seven separate funding rounds, was described as the clear-cut favorite to secure the work.
Bloomberg documented over a dozen Thiel-connected people placed across Trump administration agencies
Bloomberg reported extensively on the network of Peter Thiel allies placed throughout the Trump administration, including Founders Fund partner Trae Stephens, Palantir engineer Clark Minor at HHS, Anduril executive Colin Carroll at DoD, and David Sacks as White House AI and Crypto Czar.