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Jacob Helberg
American civil servant and writer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Jacob Helberg (born 1989/1990[1]) is an American writer and technology advisor.[2][3] In 2025 he was nominated Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment by incoming president Donald Trump.
Helberg serves as a commissioner for the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, and senior advisor to Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies.[4][5][6] Helberg has commented extensively on US–China relations, and the national security implications of Chinese-developed web apps like TikTok.[7][8][9]
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Personal life
He grew up in a Jewish family in Europe.[10] Helberg married American investor Keith Rabois in a 2018 ceremony officiated by Sam Altman.[11]
Helberg graduated from the NYU Law - NYU Tandon MS in Cybersecurity Risk & Strategy program in 2020.[12]
Political involvement
Helberg became a leading advocate for the 2024 passage of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which forced a sale or ban of TikTok.[13][14][15][16] Helberg is the founder of the Hill and Valley Forum, a working group of American venture capitalists and lawmakers concerned about China's impact on the American technology industry.[5][3]
Helberg is one of the top donors to Donald Trump's 2024 reelection campaign, donating $2 million in 2024.[17][18][19] Previously, Helberg primarily donated to Democratic candidates, including the Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential campaign.[20][21] He attributes his shift to the COVID-19 pandemic, technological concerns about China, and anti-Israel views among Democrats.[22][23][24]
On December 10, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced Helberg would be the under secretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment in his second term.[25]
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Publications
In 2021, Simon & Schuster published a book by Helberg, The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power.[26] According to The Information, the book argues that "foreign adversaries are using technology to wage war against the U.S."[27]
References
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