Peter Thiel Built Two Defense Companies. They''re About to Own the Pentagon.
While everyone debates whether AI will take their job, Peter Thiel''s companies are taking something bigger: the Department of Defense''s entire software stack.
Palantir (PLTR) — $78 billion market cap, runs data analytics for CIA, NSA, Army, and now Ukraine''s battlefield intelligence. Their AIP (Artificial Intelligence Platform) is becoming the operating system of modern warfare.
Anduril — Still private, valued at $14 billion, builds autonomous defense systems. Their Lattice platform controls drones, sensors, and autonomous towers along the US border and in combat zones.
Why This Matters Now
The Iran war is accelerating defense modernization at a pace not seen since 9/11. The Pentagon''s FY2027 budget request includes $18 billion specifically for AI and autonomous systems. Guess who''s getting those contracts?
Traditional defense primes (Lockheed, Raytheon, Northrop) are hardware companies trying to bolt on software. Palantir and Anduril are software companies that understand hardware. In the AI era, that difference is everything.
PLTR Stock: Still Cheap?
At $85/share, PLTR trades at 30x revenue. Expensive by traditional metrics. But PLTR is growing 25%+ annually with government contracts that are essentially guaranteed revenue for 5-10 years.
The Iran war alone generated $340M in new PLTR contracts in February. Ukraine has been a live demo reel. Every military in NATO is watching and buying.
Anduril will likely IPO in 2027. When it does, it''ll be the most anticipated defense IPO since... ever. Peter Thiel plays long games, and this one is paying off.
