A 19-year-old tech whiz dubbed “Big Balls” has reemerged at Social Security just days after resigning from Elon Musk’s federal brainchild DOGE. Yes, really.
He’s barely out of his teens. But Edward Coristine’s name keeps echoing through the halls of Washington, D.C.—and not just because of the oddball nickname. This week, he officially moved to the Social Security Administration (SSA), turning heads once again after stepping away from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative kickstarted by Musk himself.
A Sudden Move with Quiet Noise
Coristine’s resignation from DOGE wasn’t just some HR blip. It landed like a ping in a server room—immediate and widely tracked. First reported by WIRED, the shake-up comes at a time when DOGE, once a bold federal experiment, is slowly unraveling.
SSA sources confirmed spotting Coristine in Woodlawn, Maryland, early Monday. By Tuesday, the White House acknowledged his resignation—but only from his GSA post, not DOGE in its entirety. That subtle clarification had folks scratching their heads.
Then came the twist: SSA spokesperson Stephen McGraw confirmed Coristine is now officially on board. His mission? Improve the agency’s sluggish digital systems. It’s a big ask, even for a kid used to punching above his weight.
Who Is “Big Balls” Really?
It’s not every day a teenager becomes a mainstay in the federal IT world. But Coristine isn’t your average 19-year-old.
Two years ago, he was just another engineering student at Northeastern University. Fast-forward, and he’s held posts at:
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Health and Human Services
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General Services Administration
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Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency
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USAID
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USCIS
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Department of Education
He didn’t just pass through. By all accounts, he touched some of the most sensitive systems in federal IT. His name, though? It stuck because of a nickname that exploded on social media. “Big Balls,” they called him. Mockery, mostly. But the work kept piling up.
From Dorm Room to Federal Networks
There’s more to Coristine’s backstory than meets the eye. Before all this, he was fired from a data security firm after being tied—allegedly—to a leak involving a competitor. That’s according to The Guardian, which also tracked down records of five companies he founded while still underage.
Tesla.Sexy LLC? That’s not a joke. It was one of several startups Coristine registered across states like Connecticut and Delaware, and even in the UK.
For context, he founded his first LLC at 16.
DOGE Exodus: The Silent Disbanding
Coristine’s exit didn’t happen in isolation. Others are leaving too. Steve Davis, who handled DOGE’s day-to-day grind, also recently walked. Musk? He’s shifted back into the private sector, letting go of DOGE’s reins after years of ambitious disruption.
Here’s what’s quietly happening behinda the curtain:
| Key DOGE Departures | Role | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Coristine | Tech Specialist | Joined SSA |
| Steve Davis | Operations Lead | Left Government |
| Anna Brecht | UX Team Lead | Unconfirmed |
| Kevin Li | AI Security | Reassigned |
Some insiders say DOGE’s dissolution is just a matter of time. With fewer people left to carry Musk’s torch inside the Beltway, the once-hyped agency is turning into a memory.
What’s He Doing at SSA?
SSA confirmed Coristine will serve as a special government employee—a rarely used designation that limits service to 130 days a year, with or without pay.
His focus will be the overhaul of SSA’s web presence, which critics have long called clunky, outdated, and difficult to navigate. Some see his appointment as an optimistic Hail Mary; others see it as more performative than practical.
“He’s sharp,” said one SSA employee who spoke anonymously. “But this agency doesn’t change overnight.”
The Internet Can’t Let Go
The nickname, like it or not, has legs. As soon as news of Coristine’s SSA post hit Twitter (or X, for the purists), memes exploded.
Some mocked SSA for hiring a teen with a nickname straight out of Reddit. Others hailed the move as exactly the kind of shake-up a stagnant system needs.
In between, there were plenty of questions. How does someone that young land roles with national-level access? What kind of vetting process is—or isn’t—in place? Why does no one seem surprised anymore?
Still, the headlines keep printing. And Coristine keeps moving.
A Quiet Tinker, A Noisy Impact
There’s little public documentation on Coristine’s exact contributions to agencies he’s worked with. But internal chatter paints a picture of someone who codes fast, iterates faster, and doesn’t love red tape.
His new SSA role won’t be glamorous. But given his track record, even quiet changes could ripple through the system. Whether those changes will last—or even be noticed—is another matter.
A 19-year-old with a controversial past is now steering part of America’s most foundational digital infrastructure.
Not something you read every day.
