Edward Coristine worked for tech billionaire Elon Musk as one of the original DOGE staff members.
Elon Musk in the U.S. Capitol rotunda on Jan. 20.
One of the most talked-about staff members of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has left the federal government, continuing a stream of DOGE-related departures.
Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old nicknamed “Big Balls” who joined DOGE as one of its original staffers, has left his job and the administration entirely, a White House spokesperson said Tuesday. The spokesperson did not provide details.
Coristine drew wide attention not only because of his nickname but also because of his youthfulness and his job history, having previously been fired from an internship at a cybersecurity firm for leaking company secrets, according to Bloomberg News. Wired magazine earlier reported his departure from the Trump administration.
His age and lack of experience came to symbolize DOGE for many of its critics, including federal workers and congressional Democrats who said it was acting recklessly in its quest to slash spending.
Coristine did not respond to an emailed request for comment Tuesday. The circumstances of his departure were not immediately
He is the latest DOGE staffer to leave the Trump administration — a list that includes tech billionaire Elon Musk, who departed the White House late last month and launched a short-lived feud against President Donald Trump. Others who have left include Musk chief aide Steve Davis and Amanda Scales, an employee of Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, according to TechCrunch.
In February, Coristine was listed in a directory as a senior adviser at the country’s top cybersecurity agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Coristine was most recently reported to have been working with the General Services Administration before leaving his position.
In an interview with Fox News last month, Coristine asserted that there were “no checks and no accountability” in federal spending, despite statements by budget watchdogs to the contrary.
CLARIFICATION (June 25, 2025; 1:20 p.m. ET): This article has been updated to remove a reference to an X account for Coristine, because the authenticity of the account is unclear.
