Palantir Technologies

A Comprehensive Overview

Origins, Founders, and Trump Administration Involvement

June 2025

Palantir Technologies concept illustration

Company Overview

Founded: 2003

Headquarters: Denver, Colorado

Employees: 4,000+

Market Cap: ~$300 billion (2025)

Stock Symbol: PLTR (NASDAQ)

Name Origin: J.R.R. Tolkien's "seeing stones" from Lord of the Rings

Mission

To build software that empowers organizations to effectively integrate their data, decisions, and operations at scale.

Founding Story & Origins

2003 - Foundation

Founded by PayPal alumni seeking to revolutionize data analysis

Initial Funding

Early investment from CIA's In-Q-Tel venture arm

Post-9/11 Purpose

Original focus on counter-terrorism data analysis and intelligence gathering

Evolution

Expanded from intelligence tool to comprehensive data platform serving government and commercial sectors

Early Contracts

Secured key partnerships with intelligence community and defense agencies

The Founders

Peter Thiel

Co-founder & Chairman

PayPal co-founder, Facebook early investor, Founders Fund. Net worth: $20.8B. Trump ally and major GOP donor.

Alex Karp

Co-founder & CEO

PhD in social theory, former Stanford Law roommate of Thiel. Described as "progressive warrior" but pro-Western supremacy.

Joe Lonsdale

Co-founder

Former PayPal executive, venture capitalist and entrepreneur.

Stephen Cohen

Co-founder & President

Former PayPal engineer with deep technical expertise.

Nathan Gettings

Co-founder

Former PayPal team member, early Palantir architect.

Product Portfolio

Palantir Gotham

Intelligence & Defense Platform

Integrates data from multiple sources for government agencies, military, and intelligence community operations.

Palantir Foundry

Commercial Data Platform

Data analytics platform for corporations like Airbus, BP, and Morgan Stanley for business operations and decision-making.

Palantir Apollo

Continuous Deployment

Manages software deployment across environments for both government and commercial clients.

Palantir AIP

Artificial Intelligence Platform

Platform for deploying LLMs and AI models securely for AI-enabled organizations.

Financial Performance

2024 Revenue

$2.75 billion

2025 Projected

$3.9 billion

+36% growth

Stock Performance 2024

+340%

2025 YTD

+64%

Palantir Financial Performance Dashboard

Government Revenue: 54.9%

Commercial Revenue: 45.1%

Trump Administration Involvement - Overview

Significant Expansion

Major growth under Trump 2.0 administration with increased government partnerships

$113+ Million in New Contracts

Substantial contract awards since Trump took office in 2025

DOGE Partnership

Key role in Department of Government Efficiency initiatives

Elon Musk Collaboration

Strategic partnership with Musk's government efficiency efforts

Major Trump Administration Contracts

ICE Immigration Tracking

$30 million

Real-time migrant movement monitoring system

Department of Defense

$795 million

Large-scale defense contract signed in 2025

Army Vantage Platform

$401 million

Military data analytics and decision-making platform follow-on

IRS Data Integration

Part of $113M+ total

Building unified API for IRS database access

DOGE Collaboration

Strategic Partnership

Cross-agency data integration and analysis

Controversies & Criticisms

Privacy & Surveillance Concerns

Criticism over extensive data collection capabilities and potential misuse

Employee Criticism

Former employees have written public criticism letters about company practices

Immigration Enforcement

Assistance with deportation efforts and immigrant tracking systems

Authoritarian Surveillance Risk

Potential for technology to enable authoritarian government surveillance

Vendor Lock-in

Concerns about government agencies becoming overly dependent on Palantir

Operational Transparency

Lack of transparency in operations and decision-making processes

Global Reach & International Contracts

25+ Office Locations

Worldwide presence spanning multiple continents

Ukraine Partnership

Demining operations and humanitarian assistance

UK Government

Contracts despite public criticism and scrutiny

NATO Allies

Strategic partnerships with allied nations

Corporate Clients

Airbus, BP, Morgan Stanley, and other Fortune 500 companies

Technology Impact & Capabilities

Real-time Data Integration

Seamlessly combines data from multiple sources for comprehensive analysis

AI-Powered Analytics

Advanced predictive analytics and machine learning capabilities

Military Applications

Target acquisition systems and battlefield intelligence

Immigration Tracking

Systems supporting deportation and border security operations

Financial Crime Detection

Advanced algorithms for detecting financial fraud and criminal activity

Humanitarian Aid

Optimization of humanitarian aid distribution and disaster response

Conclusion & Future Outlook

"Operating System for Government"

Positioned as essential infrastructure for modern government operations

AI Revolution Leadership

Leading position in artificial intelligence and machine learning applications

Trump Administration Growth

Significant expansion expected under current administration policies

Valuation Concerns

Trading at 100x+ sales multiple raises sustainability questions

Critical Infrastructure Role

Increasingly important role in US digital infrastructure and national security