Co -founder of Paypal, Palantir Technologies and Funders Fund, Peter Thiel talks to Bitcoin 2022 Conference. (Photo by Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
President Trump trumpets his proposed defense system against the attack of rocket attack using space -based weapons, called “Golden Dome”. Earlier in September, he introduced the contract phase to provide a single, flexible supply mechanism with fast -paced task orders rather than separate competitive processes. Basically, Golden Dome returns to the old failed concept of Reagan’s Reagan administration using sensors and space -based interactions to detect and destroy the threats of foreign missiles. In a false way, he claims to enhance and multiply the success that has gathered in the much smaller and more focused defense systems used for individual US military bases and boats and the “Iron Dome” system in Israel and spread it throughout North America.
Golden dome task commands can go to Trump’s favored contractors, including high -tech billionaires who are his close allies.
The evidence accumulates that Golden Dome is going to be an extremely expensive and extremely wasteful system. And, the contract for high -tech work seems sure to go to Palantir. The chairman of the Board of Directors of Palantir, the extremely well-connected billionaire Peter Thiel, the long-standing Trump-backer and the mentor of Vice President JD Vance.
Golden Dome has played a huge role in Trump’s ideology during the campaign. He gave Trump something seemingly fresh and powerful to say about the defense, something that seem to associate him with a world of high -tech progresses and let him condemn Biden’s administration for a seemingly lack of boldness. In this way, he puts himself as promoting a fantastic, innovative defensive measure, and should not face real and difficult defensive problems such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine or Chinese power in the Pacific.
In July, a letter from Senator Edward J. Markey and nine other senators stated:
Earlier in September, the Conservative American Institute of Business (AEI), more than Trump’s critic, issued a report that the cost of the Golden Dome could range from $ 3.6 trillion. AEI has given a series of opportunities, from this high figure for a system that does what President Trump claims to want to make the Golden Dome, under the lowest elements that, while still above Trump’s $ 175 billion, would have much more limited possibilities what he claims.
So now that the administration is starting for the supply of Golden Dome, the natural question is, who benefits? Some of the contracts can go to traditional defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin. However, the new feature of the Trump administration was the mutually beneficial cultivation of Silicon Valley’s billionaires. The beauty of the Golden Dome is that it includes not only material from traditional contractors, but technological products from the closest new friends of Trump administration.
Concerning the role of government contractors, Golden Dome brings to the forefront, first of all, Space-X, Elon Musk for the launch of space vehicles. It is not necessary to deal with the role that Elon Musk played at the beginning of the administration. In addition to Space-X, President Trump and high-tech executives have cultivated relationships with each other. Golden Dome is the perfect place to build such relationships.
The high -tech company is expected to take on the leading role in the Golden Dome is Palantir. An August exhibits the government’s supervision, “Gold Rush: Top Trump Silicon Valley Ties” (hereinafter the “Silicon Valley Guters study”) examined the high positions in the Trump administration of officials with Palantir connections.
A closer look at Palantir is justified. The co -founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of Palantir is Peter Thiel. An article forbes said this:
‘Paladir [is] Artificial Intelligence and Government Extraordinaire contractor chaired by Peter Thiel, the longest -time Silicon Valley Backer and mentor of Vice President JD Vance and many others in prominent roles in the new administration. “
Thiel’s background: He made his first billion on Pay-Pal. Made another fortune on Facebook. Forbes calculates its current value at $ 25 billion. And Palantir is one of his most important current businesses, began by doing a great deal of data for the CIA, which is now specializing in AI. Thiel is currently in the spotlight for the guidance, funding and support of Vice President Vance. In short, Thiel used Vance in Venture Capital Silicon Valley’s company, shortly after the Law School, helped to launch his own business capital, introduced Vance to Trump at Mar-A-Lago in 2021 and got Trump’s approval of Trump for his Sen. Vance Senate campaign.
Thiel was a billionaire political activist, including major campaign contributions. In general, his philosophy is described as extremely conservative, though he would also say liberal. Thiel has made very important contributions to the Trump campaign over the years. Another co -founder and billionaire member of Palantir’s Board of Directors, Joe Lonsdale, another Trump supporter, is described in an article forbes so: “Lonsdale and Thiel are among Big Tech’s biggest vocals in Silicon Valley in the political right”. Thus, Palantir’s role in the Golden Dome is an opportunity for Thiel to take advantage of his political relations.
Another Silicon Valley contractor, Anduril, is part of a joint offer for Golden Dome along with Space-X and Palantir. Anduril thus appears for a lucrative role in the Golden Dome. The billionaire founder of Anduril, Palmer Luckey, is described as a prominent fundraiser for Trump. He hosted a fundraiser at his home with President Trump in 2020, and hosted another fundraiser in 2024.
The Silicon Valley Gust study published a later, second edition in which he mentioned the data showing sales of stock markets, recovery and so on, and processed that he had asked these issues before the original publication and no information was provided. Study of Silicon Valley’s links “These engagements of powerful government officials and cutting-edge companies, amid a broader effort by the industry to weaken ethics restrictions, are top critics, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to express concerns that they have concerns that billions of dollars of taxpayers ”.
Studying Silicon Valley’s links continued by reporting Senator Warren, “The dedication of defense officials must be in our national security, not to invest their own pockets. . . For months now, I have heard the alarm about the possible corruption associated with the golden dome and these conflicts of interest raise new questions about whether the program is used to enrich Trump’s administration officials instead of keeping our province safe.“
While it may not be necessary to look so much in the future, obviously JD Vance is on the deck for 2028. Golden Dome could be the cash cow for Vance through Palantir and Thiel.
