"a body that in previous administrations has consisted mainly of academics and engineers with particular expertise" [academics and engineers]
This quote establishes the historical baseline (academic/technical experts) against which the current shift to billionaire tech executives represents a structural departure in how science policy advisory bodies are composed.
Reasoning from this article
The article documents a deliberate replacement of the traditional expertise model with direct industry representation. Combined with the explicit mention of large donations ($2.5mn, $4.5mn, $1mn) from council members to Trump causes, the signal identifies a structural mechanism: financial contribution → advisory appointment → favorable policy outcomes (relaxed AI chip exports, light-touch regulation, crypto market structure legislation). This pattern indicates institutionalized industry capture of the executive science policy process.