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| Doge employee ‘Big Balls’ has resigned, says White House official | Doge employee ‘Big Balls’ has resigned, says White House official |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| One of Doge’s best-known workers Edward Coristine, 19, quits a month after his former boss Elon Musk’s departure | One of Doge’s best-known workers Edward Coristine, 19, quits a month after his former boss Elon Musk’s departure |
| Edward Coristine, whose nickname “Big Balls” made him one of the most publicized members of Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), resigned from the US government this week. The 19-year-old technologist had worked at multiple agencies, most recently the Social Security Administration. | Edward Coristine, whose nickname “Big Balls” made him one of the most publicized members of Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), resigned from the US government this week. The 19-year-old technologist had worked at multiple agencies, most recently the Social Security Administration. |
| Coristine’s youth and lack of professional experience were emblematic of a class of Doge staffers tasked with dismantling the federal government under orders from Musk, their de facto leader. The White House official gave no further details on the move and Coristine did not immediately return an email seeking comment. | Coristine’s youth and lack of professional experience were emblematic of a class of Doge staffers tasked with dismantling the federal government under orders from Musk, their de facto leader. The White House official gave no further details on the move and Coristine did not immediately return an email seeking comment. |
| The future of Doge and employees like Coristine has been an open question since Musk left the White House last month. Musk’s very public online feud with Donald Trump, which has now settled into an apparent detente, intensified uncertainty over whether controversial Doge staffers would remain part of the administration. | The future of Doge and employees like Coristine has been an open question since Musk left the White House last month. Musk’s very public online feud with Donald Trump, which has now settled into an apparent detente, intensified uncertainty over whether controversial Doge staffers would remain part of the administration. |
| Coristine became a source of public fascination and mockery earlier this year after Wired identified him as one of Doge’s young engineers and revealed he had gone by the online handle “Big Balls”. Musk and his supporters embraced Coristine, with the Tesla CEO bringing him on Fox News last month and promoting “Big Balls” memes on X. | |
| Despite only briefly working at Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink before joining Doge, Coristine parachuted into major government agencies. Last month, Reuters reported that Coristine was one of two Doge associates promoting the use of AI across the federal bureaucracy. | Despite only briefly working at Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink before joining Doge, Coristine parachuted into major government agencies. Last month, Reuters reported that Coristine was one of two Doge associates promoting the use of AI across the federal bureaucracy. |
| Coristine, like other Doge members, was followed by a shady online history. Media outlets, including Wired which first reported his departure, revealed that Coristine had been active in a chatroom popular with hackers and previously had been fired from a job following an alleged data leak. In March, Reuters reported that Coristine had provided tech support to a cybercrime gang that had bragged about trafficking in stolen data and harassing an FBI agent. Coristine was also fired from a previous internship at a cybersecurity firm for leaking secrets, Bloomberg reported. | Coristine, like other Doge members, was followed by a shady online history. Media outlets, including Wired which first reported his departure, revealed that Coristine had been active in a chatroom popular with hackers and previously had been fired from a job following an alleged data leak. In March, Reuters reported that Coristine had provided tech support to a cybercrime gang that had bragged about trafficking in stolen data and harassing an FBI agent. Coristine was also fired from a previous internship at a cybersecurity firm for leaking secrets, Bloomberg reported. |
| Among the agencies that Coristine worked at were Health and Human Services, the General Services Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency. Doge’s cuts during this time gutted public services and targeted tens of thousands of government workers with terminations. | |
| Although the exact reasons behind Coristine’s departure are unclear, several other Doge staffers have also left since Musk stepped away from his government role. One of Musk’s top lieutenants, Steve Davis, left Doge last month after running its day to day operations. Investor Brad Smith, who oversaw cuts at Health and Human Services, also departed. | Although the exact reasons behind Coristine’s departure are unclear, several other Doge staffers have also left since Musk stepped away from his government role. One of Musk’s top lieutenants, Steve Davis, left Doge last month after running its day to day operations. Investor Brad Smith, who oversaw cuts at Health and Human Services, also departed. |
| A large number of Doge staffers remain spread throughout various agencies, however, and are continuing to implement cuts. Russell Vought, a top White House budget official and key player in the far-right Project 2025 policy manifesto, has taken on an increased role pushing for Doge’s mission since Musk left. | A large number of Doge staffers remain spread throughout various agencies, however, and are continuing to implement cuts. Russell Vought, a top White House budget official and key player in the far-right Project 2025 policy manifesto, has taken on an increased role pushing for Doge’s mission since Musk left. |
| Reuters contributed reporting | Reuters contributed reporting |