Trae Stephens, a principal at Peter Thiel’s venture capital fund Founders Fund, has joined the transition team of President-elect Donald Trump for the Defense Department, Space News reported Friday.Jeff Foust writes Stephens previously worked for Palantir Technologies, a data analytics firm part of Founders Fund’s portfolio.
He will be assigned to the landing team tasked to oversee transition at the Pentagon along with nine other members of the transition team, according to the report.
Space News reports a 10th member was added to the team on Nov. 21.
Thiel co-founded Founders Fund in 2005 and the fund invested $20 million in SpaceX in July 2008 before funding rounds Google and Fidelity conducted in November 2010 and January 2015 to support the Elon Musk-owned launch services company, Foust reports.
