The week after a U.S. immigration enforcement officer killed an American mother of three in Minneapolis in January, Palantir Technologies' head of strategic engagement posted an AI-generated video set to 'Clubbed to Death.' The video featured the company's logo in a cultist circle, alongside images of the grim reaper, a blood-soaked crucifix, and all-seeing eyes, with the slogan 'Recon is watching you.'
Internal Backlash Over Political Messaging
Some Palantir staff, already concerned about the company's embrace of Donald Trump's policies and its defense of Israel's war in Gaza, were appalled. 'The company had an absolute internal meltdown,' recalls a former employee. 'You had people being like: My customer is a children's hospital — how am I supposed to explain this to them?' The video was taken down within days.
The episode encapsulates deepening disquiet within the $330 billion company, which has become one of the most controversial tech groups globally. Insiders and investors fear its growing notoriety will imperil core business with the U.S. government, drive away corporate customers, and threaten retention of skilled engineers wooed by AI start-ups.
Palantir's Revolutionary Role and Growing Controversy
Founded in 2003 to help defend the West from terrorist attacks, Palantir revolutionized the U.S. defense industry by creating 'forward-deployed engineers' embedded in war zones or factory floors. It helped build software that saved lives on battlefields and ended the COVID-19 pandemic, according to users. But it also cultivated an aura of inscrutability, fueling fears of mass surveillance in the AI age and criticism over work with warfighters and law enforcement.
Named after the far-seeing orbs in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Palantir emphasized ties with the CIA, an early funder and core client. In the U.S., it is now so radioactive that Democratic candidates have sold even small stakes and returned donations from associates. Across Europe, doors once open in London, Paris, or Zürich have been shut.
