David Sacks
All Connections
21 total
All Connections
21 totalStanford Review colleagues, co-authored Diversity Myth 1998, PayPal COO. Sacks now Trump AI/Crypto czar. Cross-invested (Craft in Palantir, FF in Yammer)
Sacks was WH AI and Crypto Czar; Hines reported to Sacks as ED of Crypto Council. After resignation, Hines retained advisory role to assist Sacks on AI. Sacks praised Hines on departure.
Hines served under Sacks as Executive Director of WH Crypto Council (Jan-Aug 2025). Sacks was WH AI and Crypto Czar (SGE). After resignation, Hines remained as SGE assisting Sacks on AI policy while simultaneously working for Tether.
Both connected to Rockbridge Network (Vance founder, Sacks speaker). Coordinated conservative donor network.
Sequential occupants of White House tech policy positions. Kratsios (CTO Trump 1.0), Sacks (AI/Crypto Czar Trump 2.0). Both from Thiel network.
Speaker and member of Rockbridge Network. Now serves as White House AI and Crypto Czar in Trump administration. PayPal Mafia member. Key bridge between Silicon Valley tech elite and Rockbridge donor infrastructure.
Both serve in Trump White House tech policy team: Sacks as AI & Crypto Czar, Krishnan as Senior AI Policy Advisor. Co-authored AI Action Plan (Jul 2025). Both were 'key lieutenants' during Musk's Twitter rebuild (Nov 2022). Both former VCs with continuing financial interests in tech.
Co-authors of 'The Diversity Myth' (1995). Both Stanford Review. PayPal co-executives (Thiel CEO, Sacks COO 1999-2002). Both key PayPal Mafia members. Sacks' M donation to JD Vance PAC aligned with Thiel's M backing.
Sacks is founder and managing member of Craft Ventures GP I LLC and GP II LLC. Controls all Craft Ventures fund entities. CIK 0001891801.
PayPal Mafia colleagues (1999-2002). Social relationship per LittleSis. Both in Trump's inner circle - Musk runs DOGE, Sacks is AI/Crypto Czar.
Both PayPal Mafia members (2000-2002). Both Stanford alumni. Both major GOP donors. Both in Peter Thiel's network. Rabois was at Founders Fund (Thiel's firm) 2019-2024.
Both serve in Trump White House on AI policy. Sacks as AI/Crypto Czar, Krishnan as Senior Policy Advisor for AI at OSTP.
Sacks donated $1M to JD Vance 2022 Senate PAC (Protect Ohio Values). Also $8,700 to JD Vance JFC, $2,900 direct. Early major backer alongside Thiel.
Both in Trump tech-government nexus — Michael as USD(R&E)/Pentagon CTO, Sacks as White House AI & Crypto Czar; both shape AI policy benefiting Silicon Valley over traditional defense
Sacks (AI/Crypto Czar) and Thiel (Palantir co-founder) are PayPal Mafia members. Sacks policy influence extends to defense AI procurement where Palantir holds $10B+ contracts.
Both Stanford Review editors (Thiel founder 1987, Sacks editor-in-chief). PayPal Mafia core (Thiel co-founder, Sacks COO). Sacks ran Craft Ventures after PayPal. Thiel donated to Sacks politically. Now both in Trump orbit: Sacks as AI/Crypto Czar, Thiel as kingmaker.
PayPal Mafia contemporaries (Sacks COO, Rabois VP Biz Dev/EVP). Stanford Review connection. Both pivoted to VC (Sacks->Craft Ventures, Rabois->Khosla/FF). Rabois married to Helberg who holds Founders Fund carried interest.
PayPal co-founders (Howery co-founder, Sacks COO). Both Stanford Review editors-in-chief. Both Rockbridge Network members. Shared FEC recipients: Blake Masters, Blake Masters for Senate, Romney Victory, David Perdue. Now: Sacks AI/Crypto Czar, Howery holds FF/Palantir/SpaceX interests.
Both early PayPal (Gracias board member, Sacks COO). Both pivoted to investment (Gracias->Valor Equity Partners, Sacks->Craft Ventures). Both now in Trump orbit: Gracias has DOGE position, Sacks is AI/Crypto Czar. Both donated to DNC and ActBlue (bipartisan hedging).
Both in concurrent senior Trump 2 administration positions: Helberg as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Sacks as White House AI & Cryptocurrency Czar. Both from SV tech ecosystem (Helberg: Google policy/CNAS/Founders Fund, Sacks: PayPal/Craft). Their positions create complementary tech policy coverage: Sacks on domestic AI, Helberg on international tech commerce.
LittleSis records generic relationship between Sacks and Rockbridge Network, a conservative/libertarian tech network.
All Findings
7 total
All Findings
7 totalfinancial (3)
David Sacks (WH AI & Crypto Czar) retained 449 AI-connected investments despite divesting $200M in crypto and selling Meta, Amazon, xAI positions. Craft Ventures holds 7.8% of BitGo (valued at $130M+), which filed for IPO after Sacks-backed GENIUS Act stablecoin legislation passed. OGE approved 'sweeping' ethics waivers described by Washington University ethics expert as 'sham ethics waivers.' Congress investigating whether Sacks exceeded 130-day SGE term limit.
David O. Sacks donated $1,766,060 in political contributions (2002-2024). Largest: $1M to JD Vance PAC (2022), $487K+ to Purple Good Government PAC, $75K to Team Moreno, $63K to NRSC. Also $10K to Democratic Victory Fund (2018) and $5.8K to Sinema. Earliest: $500 to Spencer Bachus while at PayPal (2002).
FEC records under employer Craft Ventures show systematic donations to Republican candidates aligned with tech/crypto interests. Key recipients include JD Vance (now VP), Blake Masters, Bernie Moreno, Byron Donalds, Kevin Kiley, Jason Smith, and Ro Khanna (D). The $1M to Protect Ohio Values PAC supporting Vance was donated April 2022, before Vance won the GOP primary. Sacks hosted a June 2024 fundraiser raising $12M for Trump.
Sacks holds SEC CIK 0001891801. Filed 13F-HR reports showing $19.8M in reportable securities (Q3 2023). Filed SC 13D for Bird Global (11.2% ownership via Craft Ventures I). Filed Form 3 as Rumble Inc insider (June 29, 2023) showing ~1.7M shares across multiple vehicles. Also Form 4 filings for Bird and Rumble through 2024.
Craft Ventures I LP (CIK 0001719035) held 26,948,429 shares of Bird Global Class A Common Stock (11.2%). Sacks personally filed 13F-HR showing 2 holdings worth $19.8M total (Q3 2023). He became a Rumble insider with ~1.7M shares including 803,737 through Craft Ventures II and 517,576 direct. His personal address in SEC filings: 444 Gulf of Mexico Dr, Longboat Key FL 34228.
relationship (1)
LittleSis entity 117853 confirms Sacks network: co-authored 'Diversity Myth' with Peter Thiel, professional relationship with Ro Khanna (D-CA), social relationships with Elon Musk and Chamath Palihapitiya, professional relationship with Bari Weiss, connection to Rockbridge Network, was editor-in-chief of Stanford Review (Thiel-founded), CEO of Callin (acquired by Rumble 2023), and holds White House position as AI/Crypto Czar.
Sacks is a central node in the PayPal Mafia / Thiel network with direct relationships to: Peter Thiel (co-author, PayPal colleague), Elon Musk (PayPal colleague), Chamath Palihapitiya (All-In Podcast co-host), David Friedberg (All-In co-host), Jason Calacanis (All-In co-host), Bari Weiss (media figure), Ro Khanna (D-CA, tech-friendly Democrat). Connected to Rockbridge Network. The All-In Podcast has become a significant political influence platform; Sacks hosted $12M Trump fundraiser in June 2024.
legal (1)
Sacks received blanket White House ethics waiver allowing him to work on AI/crypto regulation while maintaining 400+ tech investments through Craft Ventures. Divested $200M in crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana) and sold stakes in xAI, Meta, Amazon. But retains illiquid investments in digital asset companies (<3.8% of total assets). Senate investigations by Warren and others allege 'sham ethics waiver.' His 130-day SGE limit potentially violated.
Key conflicts: (1) Craft Ventures invested in BitGo (stablecoin infrastructure) while Sacks backed GENIUS Act stablecoin legislation. (2) Brokered May 2025 deal selling 500K AI chips to UAE after pushing White House to lift Nvidia export restrictions. (3) Craft Ventures invested in Vultron (AI tools for federal contractors). (4) Financial disclosure Form 278 never made public. (5) Multiple congressional investigations launched by Warren, Stansbury.
intelligence (2)
Rumble Inc (where Sacks is an insider with ~1.7M shares) began in-house lobbying in Q2 2025, coinciding with Sacks' White House tenure. Lobbying covers AI, crypto, censorship, antitrust, app store competition, and First Amendment issues -- directly overlapping with Sacks' AI/Crypto Czar portfolio. Q4 2025 expenses: $10K. Lobbying on H.R. 1071 (No Censors on our Shores Act) and H.R. 3209 (App Store Freedom Act).
Sacks filed Form 3 as Rumble insider June 29, 2023. Rumble began lobbying Q2 2025. Sacks became White House AI/Crypto Czar in January 2025. The timing suggests Rumble began political advocacy after Sacks gained policy influence. Sacks' ethics waiver did not specifically address Rumble. The lobbying issues (AI regulation, crypto, censorship) are precisely the policy areas Sacks shapes.
Craft Ventures invested in Vultron's $22M Series A (2025). Vultron makes AI tools for federal contractors (proposal writing, compliance). Direct conflict: Sacks shapes federal AI policy as White House Czar while his firm invests in a company that profits from federal AI procurement. Sacks has 2 ethics waivers: March 2025 (crypto) and June 2025 (AI). Craft must run AI/crypto deals past White House ethics committee, but retains 400+ tech investments.
Specific policy actions that benefit Craft portfolio: (1) Backed GENIUS Act for stablecoin regulation (benefits BitGo investment). (2) Pushed to lift Nvidia export restrictions then brokered 500K chip sale to UAE. (3) Executive order instructing DOJ to challenge state AI laws. (4) Craft invested in Vultron which profits from the very federal contracts Sacks' policies influence. (5) Shaped Stargate $500B AI infrastructure initiative.