Palantir: CIA money, and the bin Laden legend

Palantir’s 2020 prospectus says Thiel co-founded the company and has been chairman of its board since 2003. It lists Alex Karp and Stephen Cohen as the other founders who share voting control, and Karp as chief executive. [1]

BuzzFeed News reported in 2016 that Palantir “got an early $2 million investment from the CIA’s venture capital arm, called In-Q-Tel,” and later won work from the FBI, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and Special Operations Command. In-Q-Tel lists its history on its own site. [2][3]

The relationship was not smooth. BuzzFeed reported Karp calling the CIA “recalcitrant” in a 2015 staff meeting, and said Palantir no longer worked with the NSA. [2]

Many articles and posts say Palantir’s software helped track down Osama bin Laden in 2011. BuzzFeed’s sources described it as Palantir’s “supposed role” and said the company’s failure to quash “persistent publicity” about it was a source of tension with the CIA. [1]

Neither Palantir nor the CIA has confirmed it on the record. The legend helped the company’s brand.