This piece was coauthored with my colleague John Noonan, who works in DC to help defense companies navigate some of the bureaucratic nonsense which we describe below. Defense is one of the areas where I’ve worked a lot in the last 20+ years. I founded not just Palantir — but also Epirus and Saronic, and invested in multiple others, like Anduril. This is an important part of our society that must do better: to deter our adversaries, save American lives, and stop wasting billions on subpar outcomes.

Pete Hegseth was confirmed and sworn in as Secretary of Defense this week. We are bullish on this incoming team: not just Pete but his deputy-designate, Stephen Feinberg, and undersecretary-designate Emil Michael (whom I interviewed for American Optimist); as well as Congressional leaders like Chairman Wicker of the Senate Armed Services Committee, whose plan we discuss below, and his House counterparts, Mike Rogers and Adam Smith. And among the class of brand new Senators are people like Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL who built an aerospace business, and Dave McCormick, who won the bronze star and then led Bridgewater, one of the great investment firms of the world. There are many other great leaders in the Pentagon and Congress with whom I’m in touch and who understand the stakes — too many to name here.

We’ve got the right people to get it done.