Pentagon Advisory Picks Have Financial Ties to Federal Contractors

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth named Marc Andreessen and Blake Masters to the Defense Policy Board on August 11, 2026. Both are linked to 1789 Capital, co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. Firms backed jointly by Andreessen's a16z and 1789 have drawn billions in federal loans and contracts since January 2025, including a $620 million Pentagon loan to rare-earth start-up Vulcan Elements.