Mike Gallagher, the former congressman who led the House Select Committee on China, has been named to lead Palantir Technologies’ defense business. He brings a wealth of experience in defense tech issues, including advocating for a ban on TikTok. This move comes as the company expands its reach with government agencies, particularly in defense and intelligence. Gallagher aims to help Palantir innovate in new domains like space.
Palantir’s government business is growing, with more than half of its revenue in 2024 coming from government contracts. Gallagher sees Palantir as at the leading edge of deterrence in the 21st Century, emphasizing the importance of technological supremacy in geopolitical survival. He also aims to revitalize the American defense industrial base by collaborating with startups, VCs, and non-traditional defense companies.
Gallagher’s priorities in his new role include building on Palantir’s recent successes, enhancing near-term deterrence, leveraging collaborative efforts with allies, and growing the defense business in new and emerging domains like space. He plans to engage startups, VCs, and defense primes to create a healthy defense ecosystem. His first order of business is to learn from Palantir’s engineers and core talent, with the goal of supporting the warfighter. Gallagher emphasizes the importance of bipartisan collaboration in national security efforts.
