Joe Gebbia, billionaire co-founder of Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) and current Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) board member, is back in the spotlight for joining the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
One of the agency’s goals is purportedly to overhaul the outdated, paper-based federal retirement system and replace it with something fast, modern, and, in his words, “beautifully designed.”
Don't Miss:
“We really believe that the government can be an Apple Store–like experience: beautifully designed, great user experience, modern systems,” Gebbia said during a recent Fox News interview alongside Elon Musk and other DOGE team members.”We can use design to solve [problems] and good engineering and create a better experience for everybody.”
Right now, the process of retiring as a federal employee is stuck in the past—literally. The New York Times reported that the applications are handled using 28,000 filing cabinets stored in a limestone cave in western Pennsylvania, a system that’s been in place since the 1970s. According to Gebbia, the process still takes months to complete.
In the Fox News interview, Musk said DOGE ran into a bottleneck after offering early retirement packages to hundreds of thousands of workers, only to find the government could process just 8,000 retirements per month.
Trending: Invest in the Future of Digital Engagement. Own a Piece of the $100 Billion Metaverse Today for Just $500.
Gebbia joined DOGE earlier this year after a conversation with Musk and fellow team member Anthony Armstrong, a former Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) banker. “They told me something about a mine that dealt with retirement, and they said that they need somebody to help out to fix retirement in the government. I love the challenge, so I jumped on board.”
But not everyone is thrilled. As Forbes reported last month, news of Gebbia’s DOGE role has sparked backlash among Airbnb hosts and guests, with hundreds of negative comments appearing on the platform’s community portal. Some users have even threatened to stop using Airbnb. Complaints range from “I am extremely disturbed” to “Joe Gebbia cannot remain on the board.”
See Also: With Shares Starting at Just $1.52, This Could be Your Chance to Invest in the Future of Healthcare.
Airbnb has tried to calm the waters. Spokesperson Christopher Nulty told Forbes, “Joe is joining DOGE in his personal capacity” and emphasized that his “personal views don’t reflect the views of Airbnb or Airbnb.org.”
Gebbia has not had an operational role at Airbnb since 2022 but remains on the board. He also sits on the board at Tesla and is reportedly a close associate of Musk. According to Forbes, he holds a 7% stake in Airbnb, worth around $8.6 billion, and recently sold $30.4 million worth of Airbnb stock in February.
His political activity has also raised eyebrows. While his Airbnb co-founders Brian Chesky and Nate Blecharczyk have supported Democratic candidates, Gebbia donated tens of thousands to Libertarian causes and nearly $178,000 to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s campaign.
Read Next:
UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.
Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?
This article Airbnb Co-Founder And DOGE Employee Joe Gebbia Says, 'Government Can Have An Apple Store-Like Experience' That's 'Beautifully Designed' originally appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.