The Pentagon recruiting effort dangles both money and access, offering Wall Street recruits the opportunity to manage “more capital than most investors deploy in their entire careers.” Salaries could reach as much $300,000 at the Pentagon, or $500,000 to $600,000 “if employed through a government-aligned nonprofit.” According to federal statistics, the average pay for a federal worker is about $100,000, and only about 3 percent make $200,000 or more.

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The Pentagon has become one of the drivers of the Trump administration’s new strategy of acquiring equity stakes in companies in certain industries. While the Commerce and Energy Departments have also snapped up ownership stakes in private companies, the Pentagon is by far the most deep-pocketed agency.

That includes the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital, which was established in 2022 under Mr. Biden and received an infusion of funding in President Trump’s tax bill last year.

Last summer, the office announced a $150 million loan to MP Materials, the owner of a rare earths mine. Since then, the Pentagon has taken equity stakes in other metals and mining firms, including Trilogy Metals, Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies. The investment team that the Pentagon is building would be directed at doing more deals like those.