Peter Thiel's Former Chief Of Staff, Michael Kratsios, To Join Trump As Deputy CTO

Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and Facebook investor, has come under scrutiny from other Silicon Valley giants since he started helping out President Donald Trump. Many tech companies have opposed Trump, generally for his travel ban and LGBTQ policies, but not Thiel Capital.

Now Thiel's former chief of staff for Thiel Capital, Michael Kratsios, has been chosen as Trump's Deputy Chief Technology Officer, according to Politico Pro. Thiel has been a key player in Trump's transition team and has been advising him since the Republican National Convention.

Kratsios's LinkedIn profile still says he works for Thiel Capital, and notes he was previously the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for the hedge fund Clarium Capital Management. The Princeton grad's personal website says he has a "passion for technology and politics."

What does the Chief Technology Officer do?

The role of "Chief Technology Officer" is a relatively new one in the White House. President Obama appointed Aneesh Chopra as the first U.S. CTO back in 2009. The person in the position is responsible for shaping the role that data and innovation play in the future of the country, according to the White House.

Kratsios will be the deputy to whomever is chosen to replace Megan Smith, the former CTO who was appointed by Obama in 2014. Currently the White House site offers no information on the Office of Science and Technology Policy page beyond contact information.