Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, a 19-year-old high school graduate with ties to Elon Musk’s Neuralink and a controversial cybersecurity past, now holds advisory roles at the U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security – sparking bipartisan concerns about national security risks.
The Rise of “Big Balls”
Coristine first gained attention as an intern at Musk’s Neuralink in 2024 before joining Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. He currently holds email addresses at multiple federal agencies including USAID and DHS, with reported physical access to sensitive facilities like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Controversial Past
Key incidents raising red flags:
- Fired from Path Networks in 2023 for allegedly sharing proprietary documents with competitors
- Tesla.Sexy LLC, his company controlling Russian-registered domains including an AI bot service targeting Discord’s Russian market
- Links to hacking group “The Com” through Telegram communications
- Maintained system access post-termination: “I had access to every single machine… but I never exploited it”
Family Espionage Legacy
Newly uncovered documents reveal Coristine’s grandfather was Valery Martynov – a KGB spy executed after being exposed by infamous CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames during Cold War counterintelligence operations. Martynov’s widow and children later relocated to the U.S., where Coristine’s father revived the LesserEvil snack company into a $100M business.
Security Concerns Mount
Despite White House assurances about proper clearances, experts note:
- His youth and limited professional experience (graduated high school in 2024)
- Ongoing Senate Intelligence Committee investigations into Trump-era hiring practices
- Potential foreign influence through Russian-connected tech ventures
