Some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley have been popping up in political circles. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has been advising President Trump; billionaire Peter Thiel introduced JD Vance to the president; and many more less well known folks are poised to take on positions of power in the new administration. So who are all these people and how are they connected? Bay Curious listener Anna Mistele has heard they're all part of something called the PayPal Mafia. She wants to know what that is and the extent of their influence in Silicon Valley and beyond.

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This story was reported by Morgan Sung and edited by Chris Egusa. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Gabriela Glueck and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Maya Cueva, Olivia Allen-Price, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and everyone on Team KQED.