Who is young Elon Musk hire Edward Coristine, aka Big Balls? The Doge staffer and new ‘senior adviser’ at the State Department is just 19 and registered his first venture, Tesla.Sexy LLC, at 16

Feb 28 , 2025

College dropout Edward Coristine, 19, has been hired by Elon Musk to help improve US government efficiency. Photos: TNS, Reddit

Elon Musk acolyte Edward Coristine is the son of a successful but controversial ‘popcorn’ entrepreneur, has attempted to launch several of his own ventures, and was fired from an internship last year

A 19-year-old high school graduate and Doge staffer who goes by the nickname “Big Balls” has now been given a “senior adviser” role at the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Technology, according to The Washington Post. The teenager, who has been identified as Edward Coristine, has drawn backlash and raised further concern about Elon Musk, who has been leading President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

He appears to have since launched an account on X, where he shared the news publicly. “Honoured to announce I’ve secured a role at the State Department. Huge thanks to the media for the coverage and to my friends who’ve supported me along the way. Big things ahead. #BigBalls,” he wrote.

Edward Coristine dropped out of Northeastern University to work in Silicon Valley. Photo: @EdwardCoristine/X

Here’s what we know about the controversial young adult who’s joining Musk’s team.

Who are Edward Coristine’s parents?

Edward Coristine’s father Charles Coristine is reportedly also a controversial figure. He is a former Morgan Stanley employee who bought the failing organic popcorn company Lesser Evil for US$250,000 and grew it into a multimillion-dollar brand, per CNBC.

He was later accused of false advertising by stating that the snacks were healthier than other options on the market, according to The Independent. Edward has been dubbed a “popcorn heir” thanks to his father’s dealings.

Where did Edward Coristine go to college?

Edward Coristine is an aspiring entrepreneur. Photo: Reddit

Coristine was attending Northeastern University but dropped out so that he could work in Silicon Valley. He was studying for a combined mechanical engineering and physics major, per the university’s newspaper, The Huntington News. A source close to Coristine told the paper that Coristine looked up to Musk as an “idol”. “Through high school, his goal was never really to go to college,” the friend said. “He really just wanted to build his own thing, like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates.”