Stephen A Feinberg, or Steve Feinberg, deputy secretary of defense, worked closely with David Rush, the ex-CIA official who was caught with $40 million in gold bars at his home. Rush was caught last month and is now under FBI investigation. Feinberg had reportedly contacted the spy agency earlier this year asking to work more closely with Rush, as per New York Times.
Rush and Feinberg had a working relationship, as per the publication. Before he was fired, Rush worked with Pete Hegseth’s number two on a highly classified program whose focus was to spy on China, the publication noted. Feinberg had reportedly reached out to a senior CIA official, asking for Rush to have a greater role in said program.
Also Read | Ex-CIA officer David Rush’s political party links in focus as FBI finds gold bars worth $40 million at his home
As per officials, Feinberg was not aware of the investigation into Rush at the time, NYT reported. However, it shows that Rush had the trust of some top American officials at the same time that he may have been defrauding the CIA of millions.
Stephen Feinberg-David Rush: A look at their relationship
Feinberg and Rush reportedly knew each other at least since the former was the head of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board when President Donald Trump had his first term in office.
Rush, at the time, was an officer in the C.I.A.’s Directorate of Science and Technology. Feinberg, co-founder of Cerberus Capital, a private equity firm, reportedly took interest in this branch of the spy agency when he ran the White House advisory board.
When on this board, Feinberg’s tasks included advising the White House and spy agencies on intelligence collection and other matters. As per the publication Feinberg reached out to the CIA on behalf of Rush in late March or early April. However, when officials learnt of the investigation into Rush, he was no longer part of the Pentagon meetings.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson, said earlier in June that reports about ties between Rush and Feinberg were ‘completely false and embellished.’
“Deputy Secretary Feinberg never supported Mr. Rush’s career at any point in his life, nor did he endorse Mr. Rush for any career position,” he had said. Amid this, here’s all you need to know about Stephen Andrew Feinberg.
Stephen A Feinberg: 5 things to know
- Feinberg was sworn in as deputy secretary of war on March 17, 2025. He is the 36th deputy secretary, and saw the department’s name change from Department of Defense to Department of War.
- Feinberg serves as the DOW’s chief operating officer and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the department as well as executing the strategic priorities of the Secretary of War, which is Hegseth.
- Feinberg has been described as a ‘seasoned executive’ on the DOW page. He founded Cerberus Capital Management in 1992. Over the past decade, Feinberg led Cerberus to focus on the US defense industry and strengthen the integrity of the supply chain. However, in 2013, Cerberus had gained negative attention for having a stake in Freedom Group – which made the rifle used in the Sandy Hook massacre, as per Forbes.
- Feinberg graduated from Princeton University.
- His net worth is estimated to be $5 billion as of 2026, Forbes reported.
