After feeling uneasy about Biden's artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency policies, this Silicon Valley giant found allies in the Trump administration.
Written by: Sophie Alexander
Translated by: Luffy, Foresight News
Marc Andreessen (center) and his allies have gained significant influence in Washington, with some holding senior positions in the Trump administration. Bottom row from left to right: Sriram Krishnan, Joe Lonsdale, David Sacks, Michael Obadal, and Peter Thiel.
When Elon Musk's relationship with Donald Trump dramatically soured, other tech giants had quietly been positioning themselves for influence in Washington for years. Among these giants, few have had a more profound impact than Marc Andreessen.
The California venture capitalist has long donated to the Democratic Party, but his political stance has shifted, becoming a close ally of Trump. Andreessen has stated that his shift became clear after he was snubbed by former President Joe Biden at the White House last year.
At that time, Andreessen and his long-time investment partner Ben Horowitz traveled to Washington, where they co-founded the legendary Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). They were concerned about Biden's stance on cryptocurrency and wanted to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) with the then-president, but Biden refused to meet with them. Ultimately, they met with senior government aides, whose radical vision for AI regulation shocked the investors.
"We thought at the time, 'Oh my God, they are going to kill us,'" Andreessen recalled in a podcast earlier this year, "'They are going to destroy our companies.'"
From that day on, Andreessen said he fully supported Trump.
Even before that pivotal White House visit, the Biden administration's relationship with the tech sector had already been strained. Biden appointed regulators like Lina Khan of the Federal Trade Commission, aiming to curb the growing economic power of the tech industry. Meanwhile, a larger societal shift was occurring: many Americans began to be wary of social media and large tech companies, while some employees within tech companies also expressed dissent over their bosses' handling of widespread issues like misinformation, war, and immigration.
For many veterans of the tech industry, this was a perplexing reversal.
"You can see from Andreessen's comments and writings over the past few years that he has taken it very personally; he feels hurt by all the opposition and criticism," said Margaret O’Mara, a historian of Silicon Valley at the University of Washington. "They are used to being listened to, and not being listened to is extremely frustrating for him."
Today, Andreessen is deeply tied to the Trump administration, wielding influence to change the culture in Washington. Like Silicon Valley billionaires Musk and Peter Thiel, his network includes over six allies appointed to senior positions responsible for regulating the industries and companies he supports.
"President Trump has committed to ensuring that America maintains a dominant position in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies that will define the 21st century, and the government is dedicated to working with the best and brightest talent from the private sector to achieve this mission," said White House spokesperson Kush Desai.
Andreessen and former employees of a16z and its portfolio companies currently in government did not respond to requests for comment for this article.
Since Trump took office, companies associated with Andreessen have achieved significant victories: the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its civil enforcement action against Coinbase Global Inc.; OpenAI was included in the planned $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project; and defense tech startup Anduril will manage and manufacture new infantry goggles for the U.S. Army, with a contract value potentially exceeding $20 billion.
At the same time, some caution that proximity to Trump does not guarantee favorable outcomes. Musk, who had a close relationship with Trump as the head of DOGE (the Digital Office of Government Execution), recently had a public falling out with the president, who threatened to terminate government contracts with SpaceX and Tesla. Coinbase is currently facing a new SEC investigation regarding whether it misreported user numbers, with Coinbase's chief lawyer stating this is a legacy issue from the Biden administration that "should not continue." Additionally, like many industries, the tech sector has been harmed by Trump's erratic tariff policies.
"They have put their eggs in a rather fragile basket with Trump," O’Mara said, "It's a gamble that could succeed or fail."
Here are the key areas of Andreessen's influence in Washington:
Defense Technology
Goal: In 2022, a16z launched a national security-focused initiative called "American Dynamism," primarily investing in defense tech startups, including those manufacturing autonomous drones, aircraft, and ships. The project's success depends on securing government contracts, which are highly competitive and involve lengthy and complex processes.
Andreessen's Allies: Several former employees of a16z's primary defense investment project, Anduril, have joined the government, including at the Pentagon. Among them, Michael Obadal was nominated in March to serve as the Army's second civilian official after being a senior director at Anduril; another, Ryan Wunderly, was a robotics engineer at Anduril before joining the Treasury's DOGE department.
Highlights: According to PitchBook data, from 2021 to early this year, the Pentagon, focusing on innovation, has invested over $130 billion in defense tech startups, double that of the previous four years. According to Crunchbase data, from 2021 to 2024, a16z has invested in 14 related companies, more than any other venture capital firm. Other leaders in the defense tech investment space include Joe Lonsdale's 8VC and Thiel's Founders Fund. Last week, Anduril announced that its valuation had doubled from last year, reaching $30.5 billion in a new funding round led by Founders Fund.
Cryptocurrency
Goal: Andreessen hopes the government will encourage the development of the cryptocurrency industry and establish a loose regulatory framework to normalize the use of cryptocurrency in society. In 2022, Biden signed an executive order calling for the "responsible development of digital assets," which Andreessen described at the time as "terrorism," claiming Biden was trying to prevent founders of crypto startups from using U.S. banking services, a claim federal officials denied.
Andreessen's Allies: Brian Quintenz, who is responsible for a16z's crypto policy, has been nominated to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates cryptocurrency. He has pledged to recuse himself from matters directly related to the company or its funds for two years unless granted a waiver. The Senate held a confirmation hearing for his nomination on Tuesday.
Highlights: One of Trump's executive orders aimed to make the U.S. a "center for digital financial technology innovation," allowing cryptocurrency to be "free from restrictive regulations or unnecessary government interference." Trump's family business has launched meme coins and hinted at plans to purchase billions of dollars in Bitcoin.
In Congress, Andreessen supports the GENIUS Act, which sets standards for so-called stablecoins (digital currencies pegged to the price of other assets). Another bill, the CLARITY Act, aims to increase the transparency of rules governing cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase, thereby reducing legal risks. a16z's general partner Chris Dixon stated on behalf of the company that they support both pieces of legislation.
Artificial Intelligence
Goal: Andreessen has made deep investments in dozens of AI companies and seeks favorable regulations to allow the industry to grow rapidly in the U.S. and surpass foreign competitors.
Andreessen's Allies: Sriram Krishnan, who served as a general partner at a16z for four years, joined the White House as a senior policy advisor on AI, collaborating with Trump’s heads of cryptocurrency and AI, David Sacks. Sacks is a long-time ally of Musk and Thiel, often echoing Andreessen's sentiments on AI.
According to Politico, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 22-year-old a16z engineering researcher Peter Bowman-Davis, who took a leave from Yale University, was appointed as the acting chief AI officer. Wired reported in May that OpenAI had met with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss potential collaboration, and Bowman-Davis was also involved in discussions about the agency's AI initiatives.
Highlights: On his first day in office, Trump rescinded an executive order issued by Biden in 2023 aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for the federal government's development of AI. A tax bill passed by the House in May included a provision that would prevent states from implementing new AI regulatory rules for the next decade. Over 200 bipartisan state lawmakers urged Congress to repeal this provision.
In May, Krishnan met with Trump in the Gulf with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accompanied by Horowitz, Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and others. Krishnan helped facilitate a deal to sell over a million Nvidia chips to the UAE. "This 'AI diplomacy' will help lock in the U.S. tech stack in the region," he posted on X. However, some worry this could shift computing power away from the U.S., potentially falling into the hands of Chinese companies.
Other Relationships
Andreessen has allies in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which effectively serves as the federal government's human resources office. Trump’s pick to lead the agency is Scott Kupor, who was an executive partner at a16z and lists himself as the "number one employee" of the investment firm on LinkedIn. OPM works closely with DOGE on federal government layoff issues.
Greg Hogan, who served as the infrastructure vice president at Comma.ai, an a16z investment, is now the chief information officer of the OPM, responsible for the agency's data and cybersecurity. The new chief information officer of the Treasury, Sam Corcos, is a co-founder and CEO of the food tracking startup Levels, which a16z invested in this August.
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