(Image: https://x.com/tariquesha1)
Akash Bobba
, a 22-year-old engineer of Indian origin, has recently joined Elon Musk's Department of
Government Efficiency
(
DOGE
). Bobba, along with five other young engineers, was hired by Musk to modernise government systems, raising concerns about their lack of government experience and the potential security risks involved.
Bobba, a graduate of UC Berkeley's elite Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MET) program, has quickly risen through the ranks of
Silicon Valley
, securing internships at Meta, Palantir, and Bridgewater Associates.
Known for his problem-solving skills, Bobba once rewrote an entire project overnight after a teammate accidentally deleted it just before a deadline. His former classmate Charis Zhang recalled the incident.
“Let me tell you something about Akash. During a project at Berkeley, I accidentally deleted our entire codebase 2 days before the deadline. I panicked. Akash just stared at the screen, shrugged, and rewrote everything from scratch in one night—better than before. We submitted early and got first in the class. Many such stories. I trust him with everything I own,” wrote Zhang in a social media post.
Bobba's appointment, along with the other young engineers, has sparked significant debate. Critics argue that granting individuals with limited government experience access to sensitive government systems poses significant security risks. The hiring strategy has also raised questions about the competence and oversight within Musk's DOGE initiative. Reports suggest that at least four of the new DOGE hires, including Bobba, now have top-tier access to federal IT systems.
Bobba isn't the only new face in Musk's government overhaul. The five other members of the DOGE team comprise a mix of recent graduates, college students, and former SpaceX interns, all of whom now have official government emails and top-level security clearances.
English (US) ·