According to people familiar with the matter, President-elect Donald Trump and his team consulted with Trey Stephens, executive chairman of defense technology startup Andorel Industries Inc., who emphasized the incoming administration’s plans to shake up the U.S. military. .
Trump and other members of his inner circle met with Stephens on Thursday to discuss ways to transform the nation’s defense, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation. requested to. Stephens, also a partner in Peter Thiel’s venture capital firm Founders Fund, previously worked in U.S. intelligence support and on Capitol Hill.
Several prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists have thrown their weight behind Trump and his partner, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, who invested in Endorel’s first venture round while at Steve Case’s firm Revolution. Elon Musk has emerged as Trump’s staunchest ally, spending more than $100 million on campaign efforts and lending the campaign credibility among many in the tech industry.
A spokeswoman for Andoril had no immediate comment, while Trump’s transition did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has promised to reform the US defense establishment, cut waste and modernize weapons production and procurement. Endorel, valued at $14 billion in its most recent funding round, makes underwater vehicles, surveillance tools and autonomous weapons systems, and sees itself as an alternative to more established military contractors.
Read more: Andoril secures $14 billion valuation in new defense tech funding
Those changes are already underway with a series of iconic picks for key national security jobs. This week, Trump nominated former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence, Fox News host Pat Hegseth to be secretary of defense and staunch loyalist Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general. All three would require confirmation by the US Senate.
Access to Stephens also underscores the continued influence of Thiel, who endorsed Trump in 2016 and helped place several of his mentors and allies in key roles during the first administration.
Michael Kratsios, previously a principal at Thiel’s eponymous private equity firm Thiel Capital, served as U.S. chief technology officer before joining Thiel-backed ScaleAI in 2021. Earlier this week he joined the president-elect’s transition team to handle tech policy, according to Politico. . Thiel’s longtime colleague Ken Horry also served as ambassador to Sweden during Trump’s first term.
Read more: AI is reshaping the battlefield and the future of warfare.
Endorel was co-founded by Stephens and Palmer Luckey, one of the creators of the Oculus virtual reality headset and an ardent Trump supporter. The company has emerged as a major U.S. government contractor as it competes with traditional defense firms for a large share of national security business.
Stephens began his career two decades ago on Capitol Hill and in the Office of Political Affairs at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington. According to Andorel’s website, he graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
