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Palantir Technologies: The Wild Ride of a Data Giant
Palantir Technologies is one of those companies that’s hard to pin down—it’s part tech wizard, part government shadow player, and all about big data. If you’ve been watching its stock climb or scratching your head over its latest controversy, you’re not alone. Here at DogeReport.info, I’m digging into the whole Palantir saga: when it kicked off, who started it, what they actually do, how its stock’s been doing, the mess it’s stirred up, who it’s up against, and where it’s headed. Buckle up—this Denver-based outfit’s got a story worth telling.
When Did Palantir Get Started?
Picture this: it’s 2003, the world’s still reeling from 9/11, and a little startup called Palantir pops up with a big idea—use data to keep us safe. The CIA’s venture crew, In-Q-Tel, threw a couple million bucks their way to get things rolling, and that cash birthed Gotham, their first big product. Forbes once said Silicon Valley’s usual moneybags didn’t get it—too government-y, not sexy enough. But that outsider vibe? It’s what made Palantir a beast in the data game.
Who’s Behind Palantir?
The folks who kicked this off are a wild mix. You’ve got:
Peter Thiel: The PayPal big shot and billionaire who dumped $40 million into Palantir and still calls the shots as chairman. Guy’s got a knack for betting on winners.
Alex Karp: CEO and proud oddball with a social theory Ph.D.—not your typical tech bro, but he’s the glue here.
Stephen Cohen: Stanford brainiac who coded the early magic.
Joe Lonsdale: Another PayPal alum who helped build the bones before jetting off to start 8VC.
Nathan Gettings: PayPal coder who brought the tech chops.
Forbes called them “top-tier,” and honestly, it’s hard to argue—Thiel’s cash and Karp’s quirks built something special.
What’s Palantir All About?
Palantir’s deal is wrestling huge piles of data into something useful. They’ve got a few tricks up their sleeve:
Gotham: Think spy stuff—this one’s for the Pentagon, Ukraine’s military, you name it. Tracks bad guys, maps troop moves, all that jazz (Wikipedia’s got the rundown).
Foundry: The corporate crowd loves this—Morgan Stanley and Airbus use it to turn data chaos into gold.
Apollo: Keeps the software humming wherever it’s needed.
AIP: Their shiny new AI toy, mixing big language models with data crunching.
Whether it’s helping the National Covid Cohort Collaborative or powering “predictive policing,” Palantir’s got a knack for making data talk. Karp told CNBC their AI push is lighting a fire under the company, and it’s hard to disagree.
How’s Palantir’s Stock Performance?
Palantir hit the NYSE with a direct listing back on September 30, 2020—ticker PLTR. Started at $7.25, opened at $10, and ended day one at $9.50, pegging it at $21 billion (CNN Business called it). Fast forward to today, February 18, 2025, and holy cow, it’s a different beast.
Last year, 2024, the stock shot up 340%, snagging spots in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (CNBC’s got the scoop). Their latest earnings—Q4 2024—dropped $828 million in revenue, up 36% from last year, and 14 cents a share. Wall Street loved it; the stock jumped 22% after. Right now, it’s up 368% over the past 12 months, with a crazy 516 price-earnings ratio (Wall Street Journal via Forbes). Commercial stuff’s up 64%, government cash climbed 45%—AI’s clearly paying off.
But not everyone’s sold. Yahoo Finance says analysts peg a $74.59 target—could mean a 37% dip from recent highs. Still, a 1,300% climb since IPO? That’s nuts.
What’s Got People Riled Up About Palantir?
Palantir’s no stranger to drama. Here’s the dirt:
ICE Deal: Back in 2014, they scored $41 million from ICE to build a tracking system. Critics say it’s nabbing immigrants—protests ensued (Wikipedia’s got details).
Predictive Policing: New Orleans used Gotham to guess who’d break laws next. Sounds cool ‘til you hear the racial bias gripes.
NHS Backlash: A £480 million gig with the UK’s NHS got folks shouting about privacy—MP David Davis even wanted a court to step in (Wikipedia again).
Project Maven: When Google ditched this Pentagon drone AI thing, Palantir grabbed it. Cue the “killer robot” freakout (CNN Business).
Karp’s told Forbes he’s all about safety, not snooping, but the headlines keep coming. It’s a tightrope they’re walking.
Where’s Palantir Headed?
Peeking into the crystal ball, Palantir’s got some juice left:
AI Craze: That AIP platform’s riding the ChatGPT wave—Karp’s hyped about it on CNBC, and commercial revenue’s set to jump 47% this year.
Government Gigs: From a $44 million FDA deal to arming Ukraine and Israel, they’re locked in (Bloomberg’s tracking it).
Big Business: Amazon and BP are jumping on board—private sector’s wide open.
DOGE Angle: Their CTO, Shyam Sankar, told Bloomberg those budget cuts from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could play right into their hands.
Trouble is, Wall Street’s lukewarm—19 analysts call it a “Hold” (Yahoo Finance), and Raymond James thinks the stock’s priced for perfection (Forbes). But D.A. Davidson’s tossing out a $105 target, so who knows?
Who’s Palantir Battling Out There?
Palantir’s got some tough cookies to tangle with in the data and AI ring:
Snowflake: Cloud data king—raked in $3.2 billion last year (Forbes). It’s eating Palantir’s lunch in commercial land, though it skips the spy stuff.
Databricks: AI and data lakes are its jam—$1.6 billion in 2023 (TechCrunch). It’s a real threat to AIP.
SAS: Old-school analytics player, big in finance, but it’s not as slick or government-savvy.
Tableau (Salesforce): Great at pretty charts, less so at AI. Salesforce dropped $15.7 billion on it (CNN Business).
C3.ai: AI-focused, but bleeding cash—$69 million loss last quarter (Yahoo Finance).
Palantir’s got an edge with its government-commercial split, but Snowflake and Databricks are hungry. It’s gotta keep innovating or get left behind.
Wrapping It Up
Palantir kicked off in 2003 with Thiel, Karp, and crew, turning a CIA nudge into a $267 billion AI monster by 2025. Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, AIP—they’re everywhere, pushing a 368% stock surge this year. But ICE scandals, NHS fights, and drone debates keep it messy, while Snowflake and pals nip at its heels. The future? AI’s the ticket, if they can dodge the pitfalls.
What’s your call on Palantir? Hit me up in the comments—I’d love to hear. Stick around DogeReport.info for more tech tales!
Citations
Forbes, “How A 'Deviant' Philosopher Built Palantir,” August 14, 2013.
Wikipedia, “Palantir Technologies,” accessed February 18, 2025.
CNN Business, “Palantir IPO,” September 30, 2020.
CNBC, “Palantir Shares Rocket 22%,” February 3, 2025.
Yahoo Finance, “Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) Stock,” accessed February 18, 2025.
Wall Street Journal, via Forbes, “Palantir Shares Rose 368%,” February 4, 2025.
Bloomberg, “Palantir’s Q1 Revenue Forecast,” February 3, 2025.
TechCrunch, “Databricks Raises $500M,” August 31, 2023.
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