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1. What Is Palantir?
- A data analytics and AI company founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel, with early funding from the CIA’s In-Q-Tel.
- Named after the seeing stones in Lord of the Rings — tools to see everything, everywhere.
- Markets itself as “controversial” and “lethal.”
- Core mission: make Western institutions “lethal, agile, and dominant.”
2. Surveillance, Military, and Intelligence Ties
- Software reportedly used in the operation to kill Osama bin Laden.
- Active partner in U.S. kill chains: identifies, analyzes, and enables strike decisions via AI.
- Karp: “It’s quicker and better and safer—and more violent.”
- Reduces decision latency in warfare — from minutes to milliseconds.
3. Where Is Palantir Being Used?
- Defense: Supports U.S. Army, Air Force, Special Operations, and battlefield operations.
- IRS: Helps detect fraud and optimize audits.
- HHS (Health): Centralized health data for Medicare/Medicaid.
- Hospitals: “Denials management” and revenue protection via AI.
- Police: Powers predictive policing and surveillance.
- Even Wendy’s: Optimization of fast food operations.
4. Becoming the Operating System of the U.S. Government
- Palantir CTO: “We want to be the U.S. government’s central operating system.”
- Aims to unify all data systems across federal departments.
- Already embedded in hundreds of agencies and private partners.
- New Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could further entrench Palantir’s dominance.
5. Fear Is the Product
- Palantir thrives during crises: post-9/11 terrorism, COVID-19 pandemic, AI arms race, and geopolitical instability.
- Positions itself as the only company that can handle large-scale emergencies through total data fusion.
6. AI + Simulation = Reality Control
- Juan Pinto (ex-employee): “Palantir reshapes what matters… It becomes your new ontology.”
- Palantir doesn’t just report reality—it creates the version of reality institutions act on.
- AI introduces invisible bias and framing into every decision.
7. Palantir’s Unchecked Power
- 2024 revenue: $2.9 billion — 55% from U.S. government contracts.
- Operates across health, finance, law enforcement, defense — often without public transparency.
- Powers government decisions but is a private company.
8. F-Class Shares = Eternal Control
- Founders (Thiel, Karp, etc.) hold “F shares” — giving them 49.99% of all voting power forever.
- Even if they own just 6% of equity, they retain full control.
- Public shareholders have no real say. The public has even less.
9. Ideology of Disruption
- CEO Karp frequently references revolutions, power, and war metaphors.
- Quote: “There’s a revolution. Some people will get their heads cut off.”
- Believes Palantir’s role is to “expose dysfunction” and force transformation—no matter the cost.
10. Why This Matters
- Palantir doesn’t just analyze government data—it influences how the government thinks.
- If Palantir shapes the inputs and outputs of democracy, is it still democracy?
- When private AI platforms control public decision-making, who holds them accountable?
TL;DR
- Palantir is quietly embedding itself into the core of U.S. governance.
- It fuses AI, military power, data fusion, and ideology into one platform.
- Its founders have permanent control and sweeping influence across sectors.
- The danger isn’t just surveillance—it’s private AI systems running public institutions.
