Elon Musk Hires 22-Year-Old Indian-Origin Engineer

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has never been one to follow conventional hiring practices. But his latest move—assembling a team of six young engineers, including 22-year-old Akash Bobba, to revolutionize government operations—has left Silicon Valley buzzing and Washington scrambling.

Bobba, an Indian-origin engineer, has been tapped for Musk’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a project that sounds as futuristic as one of Musk’s space missions. But while supporters hail it as a long-overdue tech-driven shake-up, skeptics are raising alarms about security risks, lack of experience, and, well, the sheer unpredictability of Musk’s governance experiments.

From Silicon Valley to Washington: The Making of Akash Bobba

Before being thrust into the limelight with DOGE, Akash Bobba was carving out an impressive path in Silicon Valley. A graduate of the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology program at UC Berkeley, Bobba had already racked up internships at some of the world’s most influential tech giants, including Meta and Palantir.

But Bobba’s real claim to fame? His almost mythical reputation for solving coding problems under pressure. One particularly viral anecdote recalls how he rewrote an entire project overnight after a teammate accidentally deleted it—just days before a major deadline. That kind of high-stakes problem-solving might just be what caught Musk’s attention.

DOGE: A Revolutionary Initiative or an Experiment Gone Too Far?

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aims to modernize outdated government systems using the same breakneck innovation seen at Tesla and SpaceX. With six engineers aged 19 to 24 at the helm, Musk envisions an agile, tech-first approach to governance—a far cry from the slow-moving bureaucratic machine Washington is used to.

However, not everyone is celebrating. The controversy stems from:

• Security Concerns: DOGE engineers have been granted top-level security clearance, allowing them to access critical government infrastructure. Traditionally, such clearances are reserved for seasoned officials with extensive vetting. Is it wise to give that level of access to a group of fresh graduates?
• Lack of Government Experience: While Bobba and his peers are undoubtedly tech prodigies, coding skills alone don’t translate into effective governance. The sheer complexity of government operations—filled with legal, ethical, and political challenges—raises questions about their preparedness.
• Musk’s Unpredictability: From his Twitter spats to his rapid-fire decision-making, Musk’s governance style doesn’t always inspire confidence. While Tesla and SpaceX can afford bold risks, should national security be left to the same level of experimentation?

Criticism vs. Optimism: Can DOGE Deliver?

Supporters of DOGE argue that government desperately needs a tech revolution. Outdated systems, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities plague even the most advanced nations. If anyone can fix it, they say, it’s the same minds that have built self-driving cars and reusable rockets.

On the flip side, critics warn that blindly trusting young engineers with national security infrastructure is a high-stakes gamble. Experience, they argue, isn’t just about knowing how to code—it’s about navigating the intricate, messy world of policymaking.

Final Verdict: A Stroke of Genius or a Disaster Waiting to Happen?

Akash Bobba’s rise to DOGE is undoubtedly a testament to the power of young, ambitious minds. But whether Musk’s government overhaul will be a Silicon Valley success story or a cautionary tale remains to be seen.

For now, one thing is certain—Washington has never seen anything quite like this.