On Sunday, December 22, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced the appointment of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-origin tech entrepreneur, as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump emphasized Krishnan’s role in maintaining America’s leadership in AI and shaping government-wide AI policies. “Sriram Krishnan will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in AI and help shape and coordinate AI policy across Government, including working with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology,” Trump wrote.

Krishnan, a former Microsoft executive and close aide to Elon Musk, will work alongside technology and policy expert David Sacks. Responding to the appointment, Krishnan expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I’m honored to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI, working closely with David Sacks. Thank you, @realDonaldTrump, for this opportunity,” he shared on X.

Born in Chennai, India, Krishnan comes from a middle-income Tamil family. A self-taught coder, he pursued his passion for technology, earning a degree in Information Technology from SRM Engineering College, Anna University, in 2005.

Krishnan’s illustrious career includes leadership roles at Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Snap. At Microsoft, he was instrumental in developing Windows Azure, while at Facebook, he built the Facebook Audience Network to compete with Google’s ad technologies. His tenure at Twitter saw the introduction of key product innovations that boosted user growth.

In 2021, Krishnan joined venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) as a general partner, focusing on emerging technologies like AI and Web3. He gained further recognition in 2022 for advising Elon Musk during Twitter’s transformation following Musk’s acquisition.

Apart from his professional achievements, Krishnan co-hosts *The Aarthi and Sriram Show* podcast with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy. The podcast, featuring notable guests such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, has amassed millions of downloads. The couple, often dubbed a “tech power duo,” resides in London.