Outgoing federal CIO Greg Barbaccia will return to Palantir

The Trump administration’s top IT official is headed back to Palantir after he leaves government next month, a White House official confirmed Friday.

The news was first shared offhand by General Services Administration leader Edward Forst during a Thursday graduation ceremony for the U.S. Digital Corps, as reported by NextGov. FedScoop independently verified the move with a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be more candid. 

Barbaccia previously announced his departure in an email to the CIO Council earlier this month. In that email, obtained by FedScoop, Barbaccia said it was a “difficult decision to leave government” and that he planned to depart at the end of August. It did not, however, share where he planned to go.

Prior to joining the Trump administration, Barbaccia spent roughly a decade at Palantir in roles such as head of intelligence and investigations. 

During his roughly 18 months as federal CIO, Barbaccia has absorbed multiple responsibilities, including gaining the new title of federal chief AI officer, acting director of GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, and the government service delivery lead under a law signed by President Joe Biden shortly before Trump took office. 

Barbaccia’s start date at Palantir and his exact role are not clear yet.