On the night of 31 October 2018, Sauron View of San Francisco’s financial district from above. software giant salesforce, One of the most valuable companies in the worldhad decided to celebrate Halloween by decorating the crown of its corporate tower 326 meters above sea level Recreation of the horrifying sight engulfed in flames of the great villains oflord of the rings, A great work of brilliant literature.
silicon Valley Famous English author influenced by the world of epic and magic JRR Tolkien Prepared at the beginning of the last century. like a ring with frodo bagginsimaginary of middle Earth It has left its impact on many generations. However, no group among the saga’s fans exceeds tech millionaires usaAn elite group is rapidly approaching Donald Trump Who has used Tolkien mythology to name his companies.
The same man is behind most of them: peter thielAs a teenager, before becoming one of the world’s most influential and controversial investors, the tycoon read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ “over and over again”. Explained For ‘The New Yorker’ in 2011. Although he pursued his libertarian ideology through other writers such as Ayn Rand, a belief that led him to support Trump, Thiel turned to Tolkien to illuminate a series of military and financial companies . whose profits can skyrocket With the new Trump presidency.
Businessman Peter Thiel leaving Trump Tower in New York. /Reuters
palantir
the most famous of them all Palantir Technologiesa company big Data Founded by Thiel, which has been selling its data analysis tools since 2003 to intelligence agencies such as the military, police and the CIA – which initially funded the project – but also to dozens of government agencies. usa And international. Last year, the Spanish Defense Ministry They were awarded an opaque military contract worth 16.5 million euros,
His technology Of mass surveillance The fraud detection system of paypalThe electronic payments firm with which Thiel co-founded Elon MuskBoth Trump allies. Its current executive director, alex carphas assured that Palantir “defends the values of the West” as a “better way of life”. Trump’s victory shares have surged until the company is formed 86th most valuable in the world,
Its name comes from PalantiriSeeing stones that allow their users to communicate remotely or see what is happening in other locations to gather information. However, that medium can also be used to corrupt the mind. This is how Sauron managed to transform the magician Saruman In his associate.
The wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) ‘talks’ to Sauron through his Palantir / New Line Cinema
Anduril
the second most famous Anduril IndustriesA defense technology company founded in 2017 by Trumpist businessman Palmer Luckey-turned-inventor Oculus Riftvirtual reality glasses he bought Target– and by investors associated with Palantir and spacexIt was initially financed by founding fundThiel’s impressive venture capital fund which his experts refer to as ‘Precious’surname of Gollum For single ring. The company sells drones, surveillance systems and other robotics and artificial intelligence products pentagonWhich has deployed them in the Middle East or on the border of Mexico. Lucky’s sister, Ginger, is married matt getzThe ultraconservative who was proposed by Trump as the new US Attorney General and who resigned from the post due to having sex with a minor.
Anduril (Elvish: Flame of the West) is also the name of the sword that Aragorn used to claim the throne of Gondor and free Middle-earth from the yoke of Mordor.
Games companies can reapply for funding
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) using Anduril, the sword of the King of Gondor / New Line Cinema
Sauron
In Tolkien’s saga, Sauron He is The Dark Lord, an evil being who wants to enslave free people. Now it’s also the name of a new ‘start-up’ that aims to normalize use technologies like toes dronesensor or facial recognition For home monitoring. Taking advantage of fears of insecurity, the firm has raised $18 million and, as reported ‘Washington Post‘, there is a waiting list of wealthy clients including technology executives and venture capital investors.
Their vision, which has not yet been commercialized, could be a dystopian drift. When asked how they would integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into their home security system, founder Kevin Hertz asks: “Is it a machine that can take down a bad actor with a bullet or something?”
Sauron, dark lord of Middle Earth, wearing the One Ring of Power / New Line Cinema
naria capital
The connection between Thiel and Trump is particularly clear naria capitalA venture capital firm co-founded in 2020 J.D. vanesCurrent Vice President-elect of the United States. Thiel and his circles raised $100 million to promote the fund, which promotes tech start-ups in areas of the country far from traditional centers, leading Vance to become his protégé. His bet may pay off in the new Trump administration.
In the universe of The Lord of the Rings Narya is the name of one of the three magical rings created by celebratory For the elves, though it ultimately ends at the finger of GandalfRed as fire, it had the power to strengthen the resolve of its bearers, but it was also associated with the influence of Sauron.
Rivendell, home of Elrond, great city of the elves / New Line Cinema
other companies
Silicon Valley is home to other companies named after Tolkien’s works, most of them associated with Thiel. is the case of Velar VenturesA venture capital fund that he founded in 2010 and which refers to god Which gives shape to that imaginary world. The tycoon used it to promise a million-dollar investment to the New Zealand government –which never materialized– and in return receive citizenship of the country where he plans to build a mansion-bunker Take refuge from the global crisis,
Thiel is also behind Mithril Capital Management, Rivendell Forest And lembas capitalThe first is appointed by an investment firm strong and light metal That the Dwarves of Moria Ark and the other two are financial instruments little known which he used to sell some of his shares Facebook – where it was its first external investor – referring to elven city house of elrond and the elven bread with special properties that feeds Frodo and Sam during their journey to Mount Doom.
Other companies not associated with Thiel include Iluwater CoreX, a Chinese semiconductor company named after Thiel. gods which established the world of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, and Athelus, a healthcare software platform named after the healing herb that Aragorn uses to save Frodo when he is stabbed . witch king of angmarsupreme head of NazgūlGhosts bound to the will of Sauron.
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