Billionaire Investor Mark Cuban Offers Support to Laid-Off Federal Workers

Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor, recently expressed his support for the newly laid-off federal workers on the social network Bluesky, as the latest government tech shake-up continues to unfold.

In a post that quickly gained attention, Cuban encouraged the displaced engineers and designers to capitalize on the current situation and turn it into an opportunity.

Cuban wrote, “If you worked for 18F and got fired, group together to start a consulting company. It’s only a matter of time before the government needs you to fix the problems they’ve created. They’ll have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it, but on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help.”

This offer comes after the General Services Administration (GSA) abruptly dismantled its 18F technology unit, which assists other government agencies in building, buying, and sharing tech products. According to Politico, approximately 70 individuals were affected by the layoffs, which were announced around 1 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. The unit had reportedly developed Login.gov, a secure and private platform for the public to access government services, including Social Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The early-morning layoffs are linked to a Trump administration directive aimed at reducing the federal workforce and cutting spending, as advised by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. This is not the first time 18F has experienced layoffs; in February, two dozen employees were let go when GSA cut probationary staff, as reported by Politico.

Those affected by the Saturday morning layoffs also received emails from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) late Friday, with the subject line “What did you do last week? Part II.” The emails, which were widely distributed across multiple agencies, including the State Department, the IRS, and the NIH, prompted employees to list their weekly accomplishments by Monday, according to Politico.

In the wake of these new layoffs, Cuban’s proposal presents an interesting possibility: could the very workers pushed out of government help reshape the future of civic tech on their own terms? As DOGE moves to dismantle agencies, even Elon Musk has acknowledged the potential fallout from the rapid pace of changes. On Wednesday, Musk shared that his team had briefly canceled Ebola prevention efforts, which were later reinstated, although public health experts claim that the government’s support has not been fully restored.

The question now is whether some of the government’s growing number of displaced former employees will seize the opportunity to band together and build startups that could one day sell their expertise back to the government. If so, it would represent a striking twist in the administration’s efforts to shrink the public workforce.

If Cuban has his way, at least one such unit may find itself inside a private company that the government has no choice but to rely on. Another Bluesky user even suggested a branding idea for the startup, telling Cuban, “Name the new company 18FU.”