DOGE member Ethan Shaotran admits Harvard alma mater ‘hates me’

Ethan Shaotran, a 22-year-old former Harvard student, said he has been ostracized by classmates after dropping out to join a federal reform team led by Elon Musk under the Trump administration.

“I dropped out of Harvard and came here to serve my country and it’s been unfortunate to see lost friendships,” Shaotran said in a May 1 interview with Fox News. “Most of campus hates me now.”

Shaotran left Harvard during his senior year, where he studied computer science and was known for his work in artificial intelligence. He previously founded Energize AI, a scheduling assistant for professionals that received a $100,000 grant from OpenAI in 2023.

He reportedly came to Musk’s attention after participating in a hackathon organized by xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence company. Shaotran joined DOGE, an initiative launched by executive order under President Donald Trump.

The team includes Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian and Gavin Kliger — all aged under 25 — and has been placed in agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration, where they are tasked with identifying inefficiencies and proposing technological reforms.

The initiative has come under scrutiny for giving young technologists access to sensitive government systems. DOGE’s actions have drawn criticism over a lack of oversight and reports that some members have acted without proper identification or authority in federal agencies.

Despite this, Shaotran defended the group’s work. “I hope people realize through conversations like this that reform is genuinely needed,” he said. “If there’s one group of people who really have a shot at success, it’s the people here. They’re up until 2 a.m., Monday through Sunday. DOGE did not recognize weekends.”

Since joining the program, Shaotran said he has lost friends and faced significant criticism from former classmates. Other DOGE members have reportedly received email threats. One online post featuring DOGE staffers’ photos included the phrase “Dead or Alive.”

Federal law enforcement was reportedly dispatched to protect the families of several DOGE members.

Shaotran’s interview come amid escalating tensions between Harvard and the Trump administration. The university is suing the federal government after Trump froze $2 billion in funding, accusing Harvard of failing to eliminate antisemitism on campus and dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Trump said Harvard would no longer receive any government grants if it refused to meet new conditions. Harvard, in response, accused the administration of attempting to micromanage academic affairs and undermine research programs.