Palmer Luckey wants you to know he was right all along.
The outspoken billionaire and new-age god of war is making a fortune selling weapons. His reach extends beyond the range of his powerful artillery though, as he has shifted the narrative around what working in defense tech means.
Once a somewhat taboo corner of the business world, the success of Luckey’s Anduril Industries, along with his no-holds-barred approach to … just about everything, has made him the poster child for tech’s new love affair with the military, writes BI’s Julia Hornstein.
Luckey’s now on a victory lap of sorts as he shepherds the US into a new era where one of the biggest business battlefields is the literal battlefield.
Part of Luckey’s appeal in tech circles might be his authenticity.
Whether you love him or hate him, the 33-year-old has stuck to his guns over the years. That’s unlike most of his tech peers, who have shifted their businesses and policies to favor whichever political party is in power. (Luckey once said he wrote President Donald Trump a letter when he was 15, encouraging him to run for president.)
At times, that dedication has come at a cost. Luckey has long claimed he was fired from Meta in 2017 for supporting Trump. Meta denies he left over politics.
But these days it’s all sunshine and rainbows cruise missiles and drones for Luckey.
Palmer Luckey might be the face of defense tech, but he’s got plenty of competition.
First and foremost, there’s more money than ever in the space thanks to the Trump administration leaning into defense spending.
The latest era of modern warfare is also creating new opportunities. The increased prominence of drones, as evident in the war in Ukraine, has given startups a chance to step up to the plate. It has created an interesting dynamic, with young, agile startups competing with traditional defense contractors.
The increased competition is largely viewed as a positive for the government, which can benefit from better pricing. The new players and cutting-edge tech are also speeding up processes.
The Navy said a Palantir-powered AI system for shipbuilding cut a 160-hour job to just 10 minutes. The Army is also enacting a “fail fast” approach to weapon development.
Moving at such speed, a staple of Silicon Valley, comes with risks when dealing with such powerful and dangerous tech. A new watchdog report said the US military needs to improve its weapons testing processes.
