Gavin Kliger, one of the cadre of tech bros working with Elon Musk on DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), has taken a leave of absence from his job as a senior software engineer at Databricks, not left the company as previously reported, multiple sources confirmed to Forbes. Internal documents reviewed by Forbes show that Kliger, who has been working on Musk’s haphazard effort to slash the government’s workforce, remains a senior software engineer at Databricks.
In an internal AMA with CEO Ali Ghodsi, staff at the a16z-backed company asked about potential reputational damage based on Kliger’s work with DOGE, the sources added. Ghodsi replied that he and the company don’t get involved with the opinions of staff, unless they are acting as a Databricks representative. He noted as well that he wouldn’t comment on employment situations or his employee’s political positions, according to a current Databricks staffer.
“I actually think our CEO is pretty sane but just naive about the DOGE effort being politics as usual,” said another current employee who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak openly.
In an all-company Slack, Ghodsi said Kliger’s leave of absence must have been approved by his manager, and that such an approval would only be given to high-performers. Kliger’s manager did not respond to a comment request.
Kliger and Databricks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kliger is a 25-year-old graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. At DOGE, he has reportedly played a role in the dismantling of $40 billion humanitarian agency USAID, emailing staff to tell them not to come into the office earlier this week. Wired reported that he was one of several DOGE staffers to enter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday.
Forbes previously reported on 130 of Kliger’s now-deleted X posts reconstructed via internet archives, which revealed him as a Musk and Trump superfan with a penchant for racist and ableist jokes and a disdain for government spending and illegal immigrants. In a now-deleted Substack post, Kliger claimed that he left behind a seven-figure salary to join DOGE, even though he remains an employee of Databricks. A screenshot of Databricks Slack taken today and shared with Forbes shows Kliger’s profile as active.
The chaotic and unprecedented effort by DOGE to slash the federal workforce and discontinue federal programs has so far been shrouded in secrecy. Most of the DOGE staffers whose names have been publicly reported are young, male software engineers, and many have ties to Musk’s companies. (Kliger himself interned at Twitter before Musk bought it). But Kliger’s employment status at one of Silicon Valley’s hottest AI unicorns shows that Musk’s DOGE effort includes tech workers beyond his immediate sphere, who also have little to no experience with the inner workings of government.
In the company AMA, staff also questioned Ghodsi about the company’s relationship with Andreessen Horowitz, one of its most notable backers, as it’s been reported that the firm’s founder Marc Andreessen has been actively recruiting for DOGE, the staffer told Forbes. Ghodsi said Andreessen’s political positions don’t impact Databricks or himself personally and the firm is committed to neutrality. Andreessen, who previously backed Democrats, has become one of Silicon Valley’s most outspoken backers of Trump.
Databricks, which provides data analytics software and AI tools, is one of the most valuable privately held U.S. tech startups. In December, the company raised $10 billion of funding at a $62 billion valuation. Meta invested another $5 billion in the company in January.
“I like Databricks and the tech industry and I hate that the worst elements are being elevated,” said one of the current Databricks employees. “It’s too toxic and I want it nowhere near me.”
Are you someone with knowledge about DOGE and its workers? We’d love to hear from you. Contact John Hyatt at [email protected] or using the secure messaging app Signal at +1-720-951-2080
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