Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program

Four days before Donald Trump started the inauguration, the financial technology start ramp, published a pitch to how to solve rapid government expenses. In 4000 words Blog Post The “Efficiency Formula,” One of the CEOs and investors, Trump and billionaire Ally Elish Musk, the federal programs overturned with fraud and commersense work methods can provide a quick adjustment.

Ramp sells corporate credit cards and artificial intelligence programs for enterprises to analyze costs. Although the company seems that there are no existing federal contracts, the task intended to think the government to hire. Just as the Ramp helps manage the budgets, as it helps manage budgets, according to the social media “can do the same for various government agencies” writing.

It didn’t take long for the landing to find an eager audience. In the first three-month office of Trump, the heads, the leadership of the general services under control the large federal agreement, had at least four individual meetings with the presidential appointments. Some of the meetings were organized by the best procurement employee Josh Gruenbaum, the Commissioner of the Federal Procurement Service.

The GSA is declining to get part of the $ 700 billion domestic cost card program, which is known as Smartpay. In recent weeks, Trump Randations in the GSA, the Efficiency of the Government of the Government of the Government of the Government, even a loading card for the ramp, which emphasizes the number of contracts in the federal agencies, is rapidly moving forward to hit the ramp for a pilot program.

Founded six years ago, Ramp is supported by the strongest figures in the silicone valley. One is one of the earliest supporters of Trump in the tobacco world, and millions of assistants are the early-party billionaire capitalist Peter Thiel. Thiel’s company, Founders Foundation, according to Pitchbook, has invested in seven separate finances for the Ramp. Last year, Thiel said, “It’s not better placed,” to build products at the AI ​​and financial intersection.

So far, the company, Trump and Musk collected $ 2 billion from $ 2 billion to $ 2 billion in the starting tracking website from companies. Other major financial supporters of the ramp include Khosla Enterprises Keith Rabois; Trump’s brother Kushner’s brother Joshua Kushner established Tient Capture; and a firm managed by 8vc, musk allies.

Special attention gruenbaum lifting flags inside the agency and raising flags outside. “This is against all the normal contract components built to prevent contracts based on the basis forgiveness,” he said. According to him, Career officials must lead the process to choose the best choice for taxpayers.

The GSA official, who is a high-ending of the vengeance, was unusual before the announcement of a high level of attention to the purchase of a high level of attention. “You do not want to give this impression that the leadership has already decided to win.”

GSA told Progublica that “a spokesman” said, “A spokesperson” said, “A spokesman” said, “a spokesman” has been known to the public to make a spokesman. “

Ramp did not respond to appeals for comment.

Rabois, one of the earliest investors in the ramp, is part of TECH Titans known as PayPal Mafia. Includes several reputable players covering cousin management, including heads of early payment company, Musk and Thiel. Rabois and her husband Yagub Helberg, hosted Fundraiser who took $ 1 million dollars for a Trump’s 2024 campaignAccording to the information in the media. Trump put forward Helberg for a high role in the State Department.

Rabois sits in the board of Ramp. He said he had no plans to join Trump management instead Talk to CNBC: “I have ideas, I can spoon them right.” He said that Propublicca’s statements to CNBC are about political ideas and “not participating in the company’s initiatives related to any government.” Rampa “There may be an excellent choice for any government wishing to increase the efficiency,” Rabois said.

Helberg said he did not do anything in something that was about the decline.

Different Kapital, Kouchner, did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Thiel did not comment. 8VC did not respond to a request for comments, white house or musk; Previously, Musk said, if issues of interest are, “I will repeat myself,” he said.

Meetings with Ramp’s Gruenbaum – KKR comes from a private capital company Who comes and no government experience in advance – came a favorable moment. The GSA extends the smartpay agreement by the end of the year and preparations are continuous for the next generation of the program. Smartpay is worth hundreds of millions of dollars worth hundreds of millions of dollars for currently operating financial institutions.

Gruenbaum and Gruenbaum administrator Stephen Ehikian, Smartpay and other government’s forgery or waste, entered the agency with a strong belief that caused sources.

However, both the GOP and democratic budget experts, as well as old GSA officials, explain this scene informed. The smartpay, which provides visas and mastercard cards to government employees, allows you to pay for office supplies and equipment, book travel and gas.

Cards are usually used to travel and finance purchases up to $ 10,000.

“Smartpay is the government’s life,” said the former GSA Commissioner Sonny Hashmi, who neglected the program. “This is a good program that solves real world problems … Already with the level of baked control and fraud prevention.”

Jessica Riedl said the idea of ​​a GOP budget specialist at the Conservative Manhattan Institute is an important fraud in charged card technology. In 2018, before the implementation of the last smartpay system, the state criticized waste in credit card programs.

“It was a big problem about 20-25 years ago,” he said. “In the last 15 years, the government has been new controls for credit card purchases.”

One 2017 Audit of the program The Government Report was “little proof of potential fraud” in Smartpay’s small purchases, and these documents were found. Some cases were found in some cases where the recent government inspections are not always used by officials against fraud.

GSA’s new leaders are completely violated by the smartpay and said that they share in individual meetings. In February, they put a temporary $ 1 limit on government cards and seriously restricted the number of cardholders that significantly significant workers in the field.

The chaos occurred between governmentNews organizations, National Health Institutes were not able to buy materials for the trade of employees, federal aviation management employees could not pay for travel systems and national park service workers could not control repair projects on the road.

Then the gsa left a comment Restrictions saying that “the best practices of risks reduction” and began to redo the internal smartpay.

$ 25 million to allow

The first spring of the Ramp’s smartpay business, a pilot program with a pilot program announced that the GSA lasted a few weeks after the leadership of the management of the GSA Agency will come with a pilot program.

Biden’s administration’s tail ended, the GSA called for information by looking for an industrial entry to improve the next iteration of Smartpay. However, some of the industrial players answered, they said they did not hear back from the government. Instead, the GSA began to meet with Ramp.

The GSA left a new RFI for the pilot program on March 20, 2025, openly left for seven business days.

Co-founder John Weiler, co-founder of the Nonfrofit Research Group, said that such a short window looks unusual. “It’s nothing for a week, this gives the impression they choose the winner,” he said.

Ramp, clearly cut “Favorite”, a source of a source and other former official Propubliclica inside the GSA to ensure this work. The winner has not yet been announced.

Procurement experts informed Propublica that consulting with industrial leaders before a major repairs is a good experience – but the fact that the truth should be held with the leadership of professional contract staff.

GSA spokesman, “America has been part of any and all communication market research, which is more than one potential vendors to ensure the best solution for taxpayers.” The agency refused to answer questions regarding the non-internal selection for the smartpay case of the Ramp.

The pilot program uses a special GSA purchasing body known as opening commercial solutions because it is unique. This process was used by Pentagon to help the purchase of products for warriors in armed conflict zones. The destination means that the selected contractor can be selected without faster and the same level management.

It is not clear how special meetings are provided with GSA leaders. If the ramp will eventually get the whole smartpay agreement from the US Bank, it is not clear. Representatives for the US Bank and Citibank refused to comment.

Ramp has never been a customer as a federal government. The only public sector partner listed on the website Nashville is a charter school network in Tennessee.

Again, RFI was announced, and even announced, the RAM began to contact the payment industry that asked about the special bank ID required for processing public payments. Such steps, two former GSA officials, said that the ramp is preparing to work on the program.

Ramp meetings are coming to the GSA to play the agency’s decisions in the government. Smartpay pilot was announced that day, Trump has been given executive order This is trying to centralize many public procurement within the GSA. DOGE initiative Effective headquarters were removed from the agency – employees are Built-in beds and cabinets Stays in the building overnight and The right hand of musk Steve Davis It is the main consultant of the administration of the agency.

The smartpay contract negotiations flew under the radar so far. However, changes in the credit card program can also change daily life for federal workers and major how agents operate. This represents a giant business opportunity.

“There are many money to be prepared by a new company coming here,” he said, the former GSA official. “But you have to ask: What is the solution?”