A Note from James:
The Data Republican—it almost sounds like a superhero name. And in a way, she is. She’s been single-handedly uncovering massive amounts of government waste and inefficiency. It’s honestly unbelievable. And regardless of whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or anything else, I think we can all agree: there shouldn’t be waste or fraud in the government.
You’ve heard the old stories—like the military buying a pencil for $6 million. Those weren’t urban legends. They were real, and you could track them through publicly available data. The problem now is that the data is harder to find and much harder to analyze. That’s where Data Republican comes in. She’s built tools that comb through this public data—yes, it’s all technically accessible—and uses AI to flag things that are, if not outright fraudulent, at least seriously wasteful. This is about saving taxpayer dollars.
She’s made such an impact that even Elon Musk has used her tools to help identify government waste.
You can find her on Twitter or at datarepublican.com, where she shares tools you can use to help spot waste yourself. But here's something even more remarkable: she’s both deaf and mute. She’s been deaf since early childhood and has never made a phone call in her life. She doesn’t speak either.
So, in this episode, we’re also joined by The Data Interpreter—her translator—who helps communicate her responses. You’ll hear both of them in action.
I wanted to understand: what kind of waste has she uncovered? What does she see? What is she working on? What tools can we use from her site? How did she get started with this?
We’ve edited out the pauses for translation to keep the conversation flowing, but you’ll hear the full exchange between her and her interpreter. It was a fascinating and eye-opening conversation. Listen and learn.
Episode Description:
James Altucher sits down with the anonymous data investigator known as "DataRepublican" to explore government waste, corruption, and influence networks that operate in plain sight. From bizarre examples of foreign aid spending to powerful NGOs and their entanglement with corporations and Congress, this episode unpacks how taxpayer money circulates through a tangled web of lobbying, insider boards, and private interests. DataRepublican also shares her origin story, from analyzing charities like the Girl Scouts to building AI tools that track federal awards—and the personal fallout of being doxed for her work. If you've ever wondered where your tax dollars actually go, this is an eye-opening conversation.
What You’ll Learn:
- How private corporations use lobbying and advisory boards to steer government spending
- Why USAID and its partner NGOs may be central hubs for inefficiency and influence
- The real reason massive companies like Disney and Land O'Lakes receive taxpayer money
- How DataRepublican’s AI tools help trace connections between government officials and private interests
- What you can do to research and report suspicious spending yourself
Timestamped Chapters:
- [00:00] Introduction: Uncovering Government Waste and Fraud
- [00:43] The US Global Leadership Council (USGLC) and Its Influence
- [01:54] Corporate Funding and Government Aid
- [03:14] The Complex Web of Lobbying and Influence
- [08:03] Egregious Examples of Misallocated Funds
- [10:30] The Role of NGOs and Former Government Officials
- [18:26] Personal Journey: From Charity Analysis to Government Oversight
- [20:57] Exploring Government Fraud and Waste
- [22:07] Charity and Government Spending Issues
- [22:36] Department of Defense and Misallocated Funds
- [23:20] Congressional Conflicts of Interest
- [24:38] Social Security and Identity Issues
- [25:58] Personal Journey and Overcoming Challenges
- [26:53] Naked Wines Sponsorship
- [29:38] Future Projects and Doxing Incident
- [32:18] Addressing Government Waste and Solutions
- [35:14] Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Additional Resources:
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