'Money Spigot That's Never Going Off'—Meta Reportedly Hiring Ex-Pentagon Officials As They Target Defense Contracts

Meta META is reportedly stepping up its game to land big government defense contracts, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is leading the charge.

Mode Mobile developed a smartphone called EarnPhone, which allows users to earn and save money by playing video games, listening to music and reading the news. With the phone priced at an affordable $99, the barriers to adoption are low.

Earning Opportunity for All Smartphone Users

Mode EarnPhone
State-of-the-art smartphone device includes built-in earning features.
EarnOS
Proprietary earning software turns smartphones into EarnPhones.

Min. Investment: $1000
Share Price: $0.26
Valuation: $310M

Meta’s Military Makeover 

According to Forbes, the tech giant is actively recruiting former Pentagon and national security officials to help pitch its virtual reality and AI tech to the federal government.

This move comes just months after Meta opened its Llama AI model for military use, signaling a major shift in strategy. While Meta has long had lobbyists in Washington, new job postings suggest it's going all-in. 

Don't Miss:

One job position on Meta's website seeks a public policy manager to focus on the White House, preferably with security clearance and Pentagon experience, to “lead our outreach to national security and foreign policy agencies within the Executive Branch of the U.S. government.”

In January, Meta brought on Francis Brennan, a former Trump advisor, to lead strategic communications in Washington, D.C. 

Forbes reports that another new hire, who worked for an undisclosed government agency for over a decade, wrote on LinkedIn that they will focus on “intelligence sharing” with the government. “Whether it's protecting national security or strengthening the platforms that billions rely on, I'm grateful for the opportunities that allow me to give back,” the employee reportedly posted.

Trending: ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share with a $1000 minimum.

Meta didn't comment to Forbes, but the intentions are clear: follow the money. Shana Marshall of George Washington University put it bluntly, telling Forbes, "If you are looking for a money spigot that's never going to get turned off, you go to the Pentagon."

Zuckerberg has also been working hard to cozy up to the Trump administration.

Courting the White House 

After donating $1 million to Trump's inauguration committee, he made several moves that seemed designed to appeal to conservatives—ending Facebook's third-party fact-checking program, disbanding its diversity team, and appointing Trump ally and UFC President Dana White to Meta's board.

Despite once saying Zuckerberg "should be jailed for life," President Donald Trump appears to have had a change of heart. The two met at Mar-a-Lago in November, and Zuckerberg attended Trump's inauguration. He even bought a $23 million home in Washington, D.C.

See Also: Nancy Pelosi Invested $5 Million In An AI Company Last Year — Here's How You Can Invest In Multiple Pre-IPO AI Startups With Just $1,000.

Meta hasn't announced any direct defense contracts yet, but it's already working with major military contractors like Palantir PLTR, Lockheed Martin LMT, and Booz Allen BAH. The company said in a statement last year, “It is in both America and the wider democratic world's interest for American open source models to excel and succeed over models from China and elsewhere.”

The shift mirrors a broader trend among tech companies. After years of avoiding military deals due to ethical concerns, firms like Google, OpenAI and Anthropic are now lining up to work with the U.S. government.

Read Next:

Image: Shutterstock

BAH Logo
BAHBooz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp
$129.690.30%

Stock Score Locked: Want to See it?

Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock – anytime.

Reveal Full Score
Edge Rankings
Momentum
26.93
Growth
71.50
Quality
69.42
Value
32.66
Price Trend
Short
Medium
Long
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Posted In:
Comments
Loading...