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Judge blocks Trump from closing East Potomac Park golf course for now Trump asks Supreme Court to curb judges' power to void unlawful rules nationwide On tape: Richard Blumenthal says the Trump administration let $190 million in anti-human trafficking grants lapse On tape: Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, on the House floor: the president never asked Congress before sending troops… Massie to force new House vote to end Trump's Iran war before he leaves in January Over 200 Democrats ask appeals court to strike down VA's abortion ban for veterans Kushner says U.S. is brokering Europe-Russia talks and planning next Ukraine round Blumenthal says Lutnick 'must go' over stalled Nvidia chip blacklist for Megaspeed NBC says Democrat Mary Peltola likely to beat Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska On tape: Hakeem Jeffries: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick could face Intel Committee subpoenas over Nvidia scandal Judge blocks Trump from closing East Potomac Park golf course for now Trump asks Supreme Court to curb judges' power to void unlawful rules nationwide On tape: Richard Blumenthal says the Trump administration let $190 million in anti-human trafficking grants lapse On tape: Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, on the House floor: the president never asked Congress before sending troops… Massie to force new House vote to end Trump's Iran war before he leaves in January Over 200 Democrats ask appeals court to strike down VA's abortion ban for veterans Kushner says U.S. is brokering Europe-Russia talks and planning next Ukraine round Blumenthal says Lutnick 'must go' over stalled Nvidia chip blacklist for Megaspeed NBC says Democrat Mary Peltola likely to beat Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska On tape: Hakeem Jeffries: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick could face Intel Committee subpoenas over Nvidia scandal
Michael Kratsios
Photo: William Pratt, Public domain

The Administration · Inside the White House

Michael Kratsios

Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

The president's chief science adviser, a former aide to investor Peter Thiel, leads White House technology policy and co-chairs the president's outside council of technology executives.

Biography

Michael Kratsios was born in 1986 and raised in South Carolina. 5 1 He graduated from Princeton in 2008 and worked in finance, becoming chief of staff to the investor Peter Thiel. 5 Thiel brought him into the 2016 Trump transition, and in 2017 he became deputy U.S. chief technology officer. 5 The Senate confirmed him as chief technology officer in August 2019, and in 2020 he also served as the acting Pentagon official in charge of research and engineering. 5

After the first term he joined Scale AI, a company that prepares data for artificial intelligence systems, as managing director. 2 Trump announced in December 2024 that he would nominate him to lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy. 2 At his hearing, Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee questioned him about mass firings of federal workers, but the committee advanced him 24-4 and the full Senate confirmed him 74-25 on March 25, 2025. 2 1

His office was put in charge of writing the administration's AI action plan to replace the Biden-era executive order. 2 He also co-chairs the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, whose members include the heads of Nvidia, Meta and Oracle; since March 2026 his co-chair David Sacks has no longer held a separate White House post. 3 The White House science office website still listed Kratsios as director on November 13, 2026. 4

In the job

The acts and events that have defined the post so far, oldest first.

  1. Confirmed by the Senate, 74-25. 1 2

  2. Set out a plan to protect American technology through export controls and by keeping rivals out of supply chains, according to Wikipedia. 5

  3. Rejected calls at the United Nations for international regulation of artificial intelligence, according to Wikipedia. 5

  4. Became the only co-chair of the president's technology council who also holds a full-time White House post, after David Sacks's czar role ended. 3

  5. The administration published a memorandum he wrote accusing China of stealing American AI technology, according to Wikipedia's citation of the New York Times. 5

Disputes, and their side

What critics, courts or investigators have said, and the answer given. An allegation is not a finding.

  1. At his confirmation hearing, Democratic senators pressed him on the administration's mass firings of federal employees, including scientists. 2

    Their side: The committee approved him 24-4 with support from both parties. 2

Career

  1. Analyst at Barclays Capital and Lyford Group International
  2. Clarium Capital and Thiel Capital; chief of staff to Peter Thiel
  3. Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer
  4. U.S. Chief Technology Officer
  5. Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
  6. Managing director, Scale AI
  7. Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Our reporting

We have not yet published a story that names Michael Kratsios. When we do, it will appear here.

Sources for this file

  1. The White House, Michael Kratsios Overwhelmingly Confirmed as 13th OSTP Director, March 25, 2025
  2. FedScoop, Senate confirms Michael Kratsios to lead White House science, technology office, March 25, 2025
  3. TechCrunch, David Sacks is done as AI czar - here's what he's doing instead, March 26, 2026
  4. The White House, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Nov. 13, 2026
  5. Wikipedia, Michael Kratsios, Nov. 13, 2026

File checked Nov. 13, 2026. Something wrong or out of date? Tell the desk.