India-Born Sriram Krishnan Becomes Trump's AI Advisor; Know His Family

Sriram Krishnan, an engineer, venture capitalist, and podcaster has been chosen by US President-elect Trump as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence. According to reports, the Indian-American techie is a native of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is a popular name in Silicon Valley, having worked at prestigious companies like Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap. He is a general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Krishnan will work alongside David O. Sacks, the newly designated White House AI & Crypto Czar.

Who Is Sriram Krishnan?

Donald Trump wrote in an announcement on X (formerly Twitter), "Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will help ensure continued American leadership in AI and shape policy coordination across government, including engagement with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology."

🇺🇸 I'm honored to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with @DavidSacks.

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/kw1n0IKK2a

— Sriram Krishnan (@sriramk) December 22, 2024

Krishnan was born and pursued his education in Chennai. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology from SRM Engineering College, Anna University. He began his career in 2007 with Microsoft as a program manager for Visual Studio. Then, he joined Facebook (now Meta).

Krishnan built the Facebook Audience Network, a competitive platform for Google's ad technologies. He then joined Twitter (Now X) where he led product and core user experience. According to CNBC Sriram drove a 20% annual user growth rate and launched a redesigned home page and events experience.

Krishnan reportedly assisted Elon Musk in taking over and rebranding Twitter to X. He was also speculated as the leading candidate for the role of CEO of the newly private company. Krishnan has also written columns regarding social media, AI, and related fields for popular publications like the New York Times.

Krishnan's appointment to the White House has been widely appreciated by the Indian-American community.  Indiaspora’s Executive Director Sanjeev Joshipura said, “[Krishnan's] blend of expertise in public policy, international affairs, technology, and investing will be invaluable to the nation.”

We heartily congratulate Sriram Krishnan (@sriramk) and are delighted that he has been appointed by President-elect Donald Trump as Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.https://t.co/CggQ8zCtHr

— Indiaspora (@IndiasporaForum) December 23, 2024

Who Is Aarthi Ramamurthy, Krishnan's Wife

Krishnan co-founded a podcast called The Goodtime Show Clubhouse in 2020, with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy. In 2022, they renamed their podcast to The Aarthi and Sriram Show, where they host influential figures in the industry. She is an engineer, entrepreneur, and content creator, also born in Chennai. 

Like Krishnan, Ramamurthy has also led roles in reputed companies from Meta, Intel, Twitter, and Netflix. She is also an investor. The couple met in college in 2003 through a Yahoo chat room related to a coding project, according to an interview with the NYT. They began dating in 2006, eloped in 2010, and lived in London.