Gumroad founder Sahil Lavingia says he joined the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a software engineer assigned to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on March 17, 2025, and lost access to his work on May 9, Day 55. He says the revocation came without warning soon after a Fast Company interview about his work. The timing is part of his account; available reporting does not establish that the interview caused his departure or provide an agency explanation.
What happened to Sahil Lavingia at DOGE?
In a first-person post published May 28, 2025, titled “DOGE Days,” Lavingia wrote, “I got the boot from DOGE.” He said that after Fast Company published an interview in which he discussed his DOGE work, “Soon after publication, my access was revoked without warning.” TechCrunch and Government Executive reported the same sequence while attributing it to Lavingia.
That establishes what Lavingia says happened, not why. NPR reported that he was not directly told the revocation was because of transparency. Government Executive said the White House, Office of Management and Budget, and VA did not respond to its requests for comment. None of the cited accounts supplies an agency-confirmed reason for ending his access. Lavingia’s account · TechCrunch · Government Executive
The timeline he gave
- March 17, 2025: Lavingia says he joined DOGE as a software engineer working for the VA and was sworn in as a senior advisor to the VA chief of staff.
- May 9, 2025: His post marks the date as “Day 55” and says he was booted from DOGE.
- Soon after a Fast Company interview: He says his access was revoked without warning. The sequence does not prove the interview was the cause.
- May 28 and June 2, 2025: TechCrunch and Government Executive covered his account on May 28; NPR published an interview with him on June 2.
What work did Lavingia say he did at the VA?
Lavingia described several projects, but his account presents them as work and prototypes, not independently audited results or public services that were deployed. He said he received a salary of $0.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- 100% Offline Crypto Wallet with Air-Gapped Tech: The ELLIPAL Titan 2.0 features fully air-gapped technology, making it a 100% offline crypto wallet that is completely isolated from the internet. With absolutely no WiFi, no Bluetooth, and no network cables, it ensures your private keys always remain safe and sound. You can create and recover your accounts entirely offline, signing transactions securely via simple QR code scans. Since this ultra-secure cold wallet never connects to any network, your cryptocurrency will never suffer from any network-level cyberattacks.
- Clear Signing Transparency with Your Hardware Wallet: Take absolute control of your funds with a massive 4-inch Touchscreen. The ELLIPAL Titan 2.0 lays out every single transaction in plain, readable words: exactly who you are paying, how much you are sending, and what smart contracts you are authorizing. It double-checks every detail between your phone and the crypto hardware wallet before anything is signed. This completely eliminates blind signing, giving you absolute peace of mind with your trusted hardware wallet.
- Multi-Asset Crypto Cold Wallet: Manage all your portfolio effortlessly within a single crypto cold wallet. Pair the Titan 2.0 with the intuitive ELLIPAL App to buy, sell, swap, send, and earn rewards across 45+ coins and more than 10,000 tokens all on one platform. It is a seamless and convenient crypto wallet for your digital asset management.
- 8 Years of Zero Breaches & Trusted Secure Crypto Wallet: Invest in a highly recommended, secure crypto wallet backed by an unblemished 8-year track record of zero security breaches. Proudly Forbes Recommended and trusted by over 1 million users across more than 140 countries, this robust cold storage wallet provides enterprise-grade physical and digital security, ensuring your life savings are perfectly protected against evolving Web3 threats and physical tampering.
- Up to 5 Accounts in One Cold Storage Hardware Wallet: Maximize your storage efficiency with a versatile cold storage hardware wallet that supports up to 5 completely separate accounts on a single device. You can perfectly isolate and organize your daily spending, long-term savings, active trading, and even family funds without the need for multiple devices. It is the ultimate companion for your long-term crypto journey.
- He reviewed contracts and proposed a script using a large language model (LLM) to extract text from contract PDFs and flag agreements for human review.
- He built an organizational-chart tool using VA human-resources data.
- He worked on modernizing the internal VAGPT interface and on a chatbot demonstration for VA.gov.
- He said he did not make progress on improving the user experience of veterans’ disability claims or speeding up claims processing, and never received approval to put work into production that he believed could improve lives and save taxpayer money. Government Executive also reported that he said he had built prototypes but lacked approval to deploy such improvements.
His post also cites figures that need context: he described the VA as having 473,000 employees, a figure he stated rather than an independently verified current headcount. He relayed that an existing VA project reduced benefits-claims processing time from 133 days to under a week; he did not claim to have delivered that reduction. He also reported a VA engineer’s assessment that AI adoption had been accelerated by 12 months, not an independently measured finding. Lavingia’s “DOGE Days” post
What did he say about government efficiency?
Lavingia told NPR he had expected more easy opportunities to cut waste and was surprised by how efficient government was. He said, “I did not find the federal government to be rife with waste, fraud and abuse.” He distinguished the categories: he said there was “a lot of waste,” “minimal amounts of fraud,” and abuse felt “relatively nonexistent.”
Rank #2
- Proven security at scale: Over 9 years and millions of cards issued with no known remote hacks, while military‑grade EAL6+ security keeps your private keys locked inside the chip. Your cryptocurrencies stay strongly protected from online attackers.
- Tap once to manage your entire crypto wallet across 90 blockchains - no USB cables or Bluetooth, no batteries, no setup. Access 14,100+ coins & tokens, DeFi, NFTs, and staking instantly from your phone
- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
- Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
- Trusted by 6 million users worldwide - buy, sell, swap, stake, and spend cryptocurrency directly. The secure offline storage wallet designed for how people actually use crypto wallets
He also said that opportunities to modernize processes—such as eliminating paper and faxing—do not by themselves amount to fraud, waste, and abuse. NPR corrected an earlier version of its coverage on June 27, 2025, after it had wrongly characterized waste and fraud as relatively nonexistent. The distinction matters: Lavingia’s reported view was not that waste was relatively nonexistent. NPR interview, updated June 27, 2025
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can—and cannot—be concluded?
The public account supports a narrow conclusion: Lavingia says he worked at the VA through DOGE for 55 days, described prototype and modernization work, and lost access soon after speaking to Fast Company. It does not establish that he was removed specifically for speaking to the press, that his proposed projects would have achieved their intended benefits, or that they were ready for production. Those distinctions separate his firsthand account of the events from claims about agency motive or project outcomes.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 🔐【HIGHEST LEVEL OF SECURITY】Onekey Classic 1S hardware wallet uses EAL 6+ Certified Secure Chip, meeting the highest industry standards and unparalleled level for security assurance. Features anti-tamper, supports 100% open source and we don't store private user data. Our crypto hardware wallet with complete suite of security features will absolutely protect your valuable cyrpto assets.
- ✅【SUPPORT MULTI-CURRENCY】Onekey Classic 1S cold wallet supports around 70+ blockchains and 1000+ tokens such as Solana (SOL), Algorand(ALGO), Polygon (MATIC), Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Avalanche, BNB Chain, TRON, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), etc..The app is updated every two weeks, and the firmware is updated every one and a half months, maximizing security and usability. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are not subject to hacking.
- 🛫【USER INTERFACE AND EASE OF USE】Onekey Classic 1S cryptocurrency wallet is equipped with big screen and 4 navigations buttons offers easy navigation and a smooth experience, ensuring users can manage your encrypted assets conveniently. Only 15.6g, credit card size, which measn you can carry the digital wallet conveniently because of the size and the minimal weight. Enjoy the convenience of cold storage of digital assets in a cold wallet.
- 💯【The safest and most convenient crypto experience】Buy, sell, exchange and grow your cryptocurrencies, secure your NFTs and access DeFi applications through our proprietary app: OneKey App, compatible with Windows 10+, MacOS 10.8+, Linux, iOS, Android, etc., providing Bluetooth connection with mobile phones or computers, and accessing your assets anytime, anywhere. Support extended wallets such as MetaMask Trust Wallet, Rainbow, imToken. Take control of your crypto assets as you wish!
- 🎁 【NETWORK-ISOLATED WALLET】Onekey Classic 1S crypto wallet does not connect to any network or other devices, peace of mind from hackers, as long as you own the secret seed phrase and no one else, you have full control of your funds and your can access your funds 24/7. Send and receive your NFTs or your cryptocurrency with confidence and full transparency. Comes in elegant packaging. Great gift for friends, family, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband of bitcoin lovers.
In the Fast Company interview, as quoted by TechCrunch, Lavingia characterized the workplace this way: “I would say the culture shock is mostly a lot of meetings, not a lot of decisions.” TechCrunch’s coverage
Quick Recap
Best Value
- EAL5+ CERTIFIED SECURE ELEMENT + FINGERPRINT PROTECTION — Your private keys stay encrypted offline on a certified EAL5+ chip, the same security tier used in EMV bank cards. Built by DCENT, securing crypto since 2018. Fingerprint authentication adds a second layer no PIN-only wallet can match.
- 10,000+ ASSETS NATIVE ON 100+ BLOCKCHAINS — Hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Cardano, popular stablecoins (USDT, USDC), and NFTs in one wallet. No third-party apps, no fragmented setup — every supported asset works straight out of the box.
- TAP-TO-SIGN MOBILE EXPERIENCE — Pair your wallet with the DCENT mobile app over Bluetooth. Manage tokens, review transactions, and access in-app swap features directly from your phone — no cables, no desktop required.
- WEB3 & dAPP ACCESS VIA METAMASK — Connect to MetaMask and other browser extension wallets to manage NFTs, claim airdrops, and access dApps. A large screen and intuitive 4-button interface keep every transaction clearly visible before you sign.
- SEAMLESS FIRMWARE UPDATES & 30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE — Apply security updates without resetting your wallet or migrating funds. Backed by Amazon's 30-day money-back guarantee — your purchase is risk-free.
Rank #4
- 【Support Cross-chain & Multi-currency】ELLIPAL has created an universal occw (open Cross chain wallet) Protocol which allows the wallet to support multi-chain account systems and multi-cryptocurrency (includes but is not limited to btc, bch, eth, eos, trx, dash, doge, digibyte, ltc, xrp, etc, usdt, cmt and all trc10&20 erc20 Tokens). Visual interface ensures the data exchange process is under your full awareness and total control
- 【Totally Air-Gapped&Network-Isolated Wallet】ELLIPAL Titan brings the most secure air-gapped tecnology and hardware together. It does not connect to any network or other devices. Information cannot be stolen from it through a network nor can it be controlled remotely. Titan also reinforced with strong metal casing to resist against any physical abuse. It is also IP65 rated dust proof and water proof.
- 【Android & iOS APP】ELLIPAL works seamlessly with its companion app allowing you to manage your accounts, connect to exchanges through your smartphone and keeps you updated with real-time market information. This one-stop app increases operation convenience without sacrificing security, every transaction initiated by the app would require a 2-step verification process with the cold wallet.
- 【Reliable Security Adapter】Bulit-in security adapter design. Insert the ELLIPAL security adapter to the bottom of the device. Then insert the charging cable to the adapter. Providing offline firmware update and charging. Protect your device from any remote attacks.
- 【Auto-wiping & Fast Recovery】have you worried about the assets security If this hardware lost? ELLIPAL Features auto-wiping that will clear all data while the wallet detects any security breach. All your data can be simply restored. No more worry about the potential risk of hardware lost
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
