Ex-Andreessen Horowitz leader replaces Musk’s DOGE with relatively gentle federal job cuts

Scott Kupor, former managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, has been sworn in as director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where he’s now overseeing the Trump administration’s plan to eliminate 300,000 federal jobs by the end of 2025. Taking over after Elon Musk’s chaotic DOGE initiative effectively disbanded, Kupor represents a more diplomatic approach to federal workforce reduction—though the scale of cuts remains just as ambitious.

What you should know: Kupor expects to cut 300,000 federal roles by the end of 2025, with approximately 50,000 positions already eliminated through resignations, early retirement, and buyouts rather than layoffs.

• DOGE “as a coalesced, centralized organization—at least from my perspective, it doesn’t exist in that form anymore,” according to Kupor, who now leads the “implementation” of efficiency efforts Musk started.
• Within OPM itself, about 1,000 people—33% of its workforce—will no longer be with the agency by year’s end.
• Kupor emphasizes that the “vast majority” of future departures will be voluntary, contrasting with Musk’s more confrontational approach.

The big picture: Kupor’s appointment signals a strategic shift from Musk’s chainsaw-wielding theatrics to a more measured Silicon Valley operator executing the same cost-cutting mission without the intense backlash.

• The 53-year-old venture capitalist was Andreessen Horowitz’s “very first hire” in 2009 and brings decades of tech and venture capital experience to federal workforce management.
• His role puts him at the center of testing whether deep workforce reductions can actually produce more efficient government or simply represent “nicer packaging for a bad policy.”

How his approach differs: Kupor describes a more sensitive strategy focused on rebuilding trust and treating departing employees with respect.

• “You have to know that you’re being judged by the people who are staying in the organization about how you do this,” he said of layoffs and resignations.
• Federal agencies are now revisiting staffing plans due to greater-than-expected attrition, with some areas potentially cut “too deep” during initial reductions.
• Kupor refuses to criticize Musk’s methods, saying “it’s not constructive for me to try to Monday morning quarterback” decisions made before his arrival.

Tech-driven efficiency plans: Drawing from his venture capital background, Kupor aims to introduce technological solutions and cultural changes to federal operations.

• He plans to roll out AI tools to help rulemaking committees parse public comments, replacing teams that “literally manually” read submissions and draft responses up to 80 pages long.
• OPM recently eliminated categorization requirements from agency hiring processes and removed diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements for senior executive hiring.
• Kupor is considering discontinuing the “Combined Federal Campaign” charitable donation program due to potentially “excessive” administrative costs.

What he’s saying about risk: Kupor wants to shift federal culture away from extreme risk aversion while acknowledging government limitations.

• “There’s just such a culture here of such risk aversion, and I understand why it is, but we got to just fight against that,” he explained.
• “This is not venture capital—so we’re not going to shoot-for-the-moon risk. But we can afford to take some risk on things…Where maybe the payoff is we get a five or ten percent increase in efficiency. That would be awesome.”

Potential conflicts of interest: Kupor’s transition from Andreessen Horowitz required significant financial sacrifices and divestments, though questions remain about his firm’s potential benefits.

• He forfeited carried interest in several funds, divested from companies like Microsoft and Apple, and resigned from advisory boards.
• Andreessen and Horowitz’s surprise Trump endorsement last year and their complaints about Biden administration accessibility raise questions about Andreessen Horowitz gaining White House influence through Kupor’s role.
• Kupor maintains he sees no conflicts since he’s “not in a policy position that has influence over the matters a16z is interested in.”

Why this matters: Kupor’s tenure will serve as a critical test case for whether Silicon Valley efficiency principles can successfully transform government operations at massive scale, potentially reshaping how federal agencies operate for years to come.