Trump picks venture capitalist David Sacks as ‘AI & Crypto Czar’
David Sacks, a venture capitalist, former CEO of enterprise social network firm Yammer and podcaster, will join the incoming administration in a new role President-elect Donald Trump referred to in a Thursday night announcement as the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.”
In a series of posts on Trump’s own Truth Social platform, he said Sacks “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 continued. “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.”
As part of his role, he will also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology, Trump said.
Sacks got his start in the tech industry in 1999 with PayPal, where he eventually rose the ranks to the role of chief operations officer and is recognized as part of the so-called “PayPal Mafia” with other leaders from the company — including Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and Reid Hoffman — who went on to create other thriving tech ventures in Silicon Valley.
The founder and CEO of Yammer, Sacks sold the enterprise social media and internal corporate communication platform to Microsoft in 2012 for $1.2 billion.
Sacks’ appointment continues the trend of Trump appointing successful Silicon Valley moguls to high-ranking positions in his second administration, most notably naming Musk to co-lead the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. Earlier this week, Trump nominated Daniel Driscoll, a venture capitalist and adviser to vice president-elect JD Vance, to be secretary of the Army.
In recent years, Sacks has gained a following as a co-host of the “All-In” tech podcast, which describes itself as: “Industry veterans, degenerate gamblers & besties Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks & David Friedberg cover all things economic, tech, political, social & poker.”
While Sacks hasn’t served in government or played a significant role in politics up to this point, he spoke at the Republican National Convention in July in Milwaukee and hosted a fundraiser for Trump in June, ultimately raising $12 million out of his mansion in Silicon Valley.
The appointment comes after Trump during his campaign pledged to repeal the Biden administration’s executive order on AI.
