Sriram Krishnan has expressed his excitement about contributing to American leadership in artificial intelligence, stating, “I’m honoured to serve our country and work closely with David Sacks,” on social media platform X.
### Who is Sriram Krishnan?
Originally from Chennai, India, Sriram Krishnan earned his degree in information technology from SRM Engineering College, Anna University, in 2005. He kicked off his career at Microsoft and later held significant positions at major tech companies such as Facebook, Snap Inc., and Twitter. At Facebook, he was instrumental in launching the Facebook Audience Network, which rivaled Google’s advertising solutions.
In February 2021, Krishnan became a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a well-known venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, where he focused on investments related to Web3 and AI technologies. By 2023, he took on the role of leading the firm’s London office, marking a16z’s first expansion outside the U.S. However, according to his LinkedIn, he announced his departure from the firm in December 2024.
As an angel investor, Krishnan has supported various startups, including well-known companies like SpaceX, Figma, and Scale.ai.
In his personal life, Krishnan co-hosts a podcast titled The Aarthi and Sriram Show with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy. Their show features prominent guests like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and has achieved millions of downloads, establishing them as a recognized “tech power couple.”
Krishnan makes history as the sixth member of the Indian diaspora to be appointed to the Trump administration. Other notable appointments include Vivek Ramaswamy, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, Harmeet Dhillon, and Kashyap Patel at the FBI. With Usha Vance taking up the role of Second Lady of the United States, this brings the total to seven.
### The Trump Administration’s Focus on AI and Cryptocurrency
On December 5, former PayPal COO David Sacks was appointed as the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.” His responsibility is to create a legal framework that provides clarity for the cryptocurrency sector. The announcement came via Truth Social, though it remains unclear if “czar” is an official title. This marks the creation of the United States’ first AI and Crypto Council under the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
In response to Krishnan’s appointment, Sacks expressed his eagerness to collaborate, saying, “It was a lot of fun to work with you during the Twitter transition, and I look forward to doing it again in President Trump’s administration.”
Both Sacks and Krishnan played roles during the transition at Twitter after Elon Musk’s acquisition, where Musk also holds a vital position in the Trump administration.
This month saw additional key appointments in the Trump cabinet, including Michael Kratsios as Director of the White House OSTP—previously led by Indian-American Arati Prabhakar during the Biden administration—alongside Dr. Lynne Parker, who will be the Executive Director of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and Bo Hines as the Executive Director of the newly formed Presidential Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, informally known as the “Crypto Council.”
