Elon Musk is bringing more young talent into the so-called "nerd army" at the Department of Government Efficiency, including a 24-year-old former college swimmer who has become the first known woman to join the "First Buddy's" team. Kendall Lindemann is the latest name to have joined Musk's crack team at the DOGE.
The billionaire Tesla CEO and his son, X, took over the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon to stand alongside President Donald Trump as he signed an executive order focused on DOGE. Musk, who joked the scrutiny DOGE is receiving like a "daily proctology exam," was appointed to lead the cost-cutting agency after supporting Trump on the campaign trail.
Musk Chooses His First Woman Lieutenant
Now, Musk has assembled a team primarily made up of young people—three of whom are reportedly still in college—to take on influential engineering roles and focus on cost reduction.
More names have surfaced through investigative reporting, revealing a mix of slightly older hires and even some women.
Among those joining the post-graduate ranks of DOGE is Lindemann, a former Olympic Trials swimmer and diver from the University of Tennessee, where she studied business.
During her time at Tennessee, she earned a Bank of America Leadership Award and graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Lindemann began her career as a business analyst at the consulting firm McKinsey before transitioning to health investment firm Russell Street Ventures. That firm is led by Brad Smith, who has also taken on a senior role at DOGE. She has maintained a presence on social media, sharing posts about her marriage and Christian faith.
She completed high school in Austin, Texas, and was valedictorian before continuing her education at the University of Tennessee. "The Lord has been my #1 source of strength, peace, and provision throughout college," Lindemann wrote in a graduation post.
"In the highs and in the lows, He has sustained me and given me a hope that transcends my circumstances. I am confident He will continue to be faithful in this next season of my life!"
Musk's Nerd Team
Austin Raynor, a 36-year-old attorney who once clerked for Clarence Thomas and has argued before the Supreme Court, slightly raises the agency's average age. The legal expert has appeared in the media advocating for the president and is affiliated with the right-wing Federalist Society. He has also worked at the libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation.
Venture capitalist and Republican donor Adam Ramada, 35, who has investments in a supplier linked to Musk's SpaceX, is reportedly now working for DOGE, according to The Daily Beast.
Kyle Schutt, 37, has experience in AI, having worked at multiple tech startups, including as chief technology officer at Kerplunk and as a software engineer.
Among the notable hires is former John Roberts clerk Keenan Kmiec, 45, the son of Douglas Kmiec, a former U.S. ambassador to Malta under President Barack Obama.
Stephanie Holmes, 43, now heads DOGE's human resources department after running her own consulting firm, BrighterSideHR, which counseled clients on implementing diversity initiatives in "non-woke" ways.
Musk's DOGE has been swiftly gaining influence and expanding its authority, recently receiving approval to access restricted areas of the General Services Administration buildings and IT systems. These systems contain sensitive information such as social security numbers, addresses, and contact details.
The executive order signed on Tuesday aims to drastically reduce the federal workforce, directing agencies to hire "no more than one employee for every four employees" who leave, according to Semafor.
