The Lord of the Corporations

I first read The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) in third grade upon the recommendation of my father. Since then, I have read the trilogy, watched the movies at least four times, read almost every ancillary story, and can recite major passages by heart. JRR Tolkien is considered the father of fantasy for a reason: his worldbuilding and character development stimulate the imagination and offer valuable insights into the real world. My knowledge of other Tolkien fans is sadly limited to my father, a few distant friends, and notably, lots and lots of incredibly wealthy CEOs. Imagine my surprise when I learned that one of the leading companies in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-guided missiles and weapon systems calls itself Anduril, a direct reference to the legendary sword wielded by Aragorn, King of Gondor. And what about Palantir, a software company that has taken surveillance to new depths, with a name derived from the indestructible seeing-stone made by the Ancient Elves? The trend continues: there are dozens of immensely successful start-ups, many in tech and finance, that draw inspiration from LOTR.

How do the ideas of good versus evil, an underdog story, and even the geeky culture that surrounds LOTR map onto these ambitious, high-stakes, multi-billion dollar companies? Simply put, they don’t. Many of these corporations are abusing Tolkien’s masterpiece in vain, undermining the ideals they claim to represent. For fans of LOTR, especially young ones like myself who found meaning and moral clarity in these stories, it’s painful to see a world that was built on empathy and restraint be repurposed as branding for domination.

Let’s start with Anduril, an American defense corporation specializing in AI. Its self-identification as the disruptive Silicon Valley insurgent builds a distorted image of an underdog corporation that utilizes new tool sets to gain traction in an unexplored area. This fits in well to the LOTR narrative: a group of ragtag heroes on an unlikely quest to save the world. In reality, Anduril represents much of the evil LOTR warns readers about and disregards its core values, including the importance of peace, anti-industrialization, and humanism. Anduril manufactures weapons on a huge scale, focusing on efficiency and trying to maximize their profit, much like the army of orcs the evil wizard Saruman built as fast as he could. While LOTR puts major value into what makes humans inherently human—the capacity for both good and evil, feelings of pity and empathy, and the power of ordinary people—the AI Anduril uses does exactly the opposite. Palantir is also using AI and other surveillance tech to modernize military capabilities. In fact, in 2024, they formed a partnership combining Anduril’s software system (Lattice) and hardware (Menace) with Palantir’s AI platform (AIP). Such a large scale operation means neither company is much of an underdog anymore.

On top of that, Palantir was granted a $30 million contract by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to develop a surveillance platform called “ImmigrationOS.” The work of ICE is inherently contradictory to fellowship, a value that is central to LOTR. In fact, the first part of LOTR is called The Fellowship of the Ring and features a group of nine companions who band together on a quest, including four hobbits, two men, an elf, a dwarf, and a wizard. What’s especially compelling about the novel are the character arcs of the elf, Legolas, and dwarf named Gimli, who were initially wary of each other because of the long-term distrust between their races, but end up embracing their differences and becoming best friends. This heartwarming, inclusive story clashes directly with the values of ICE. ICE sows fear and mistrust, discriminates, and uses violent tactics to meet their goals. Allying with ICE is anything but faithful to Tolkien. Furthermore, billionaire Peter Thiel, the co-founder of Palantir and self-proclaimed major fan of LOTR, is a vehement supporter of President Donald Trump and mentored Vice President JD Vance. His large accumulation of wealth and influence completely contradict the idea that he and his company could be considered underdogs. Instead, Palantir seems more similar to the Eye of Sauron—a piercing gaze and omnipresent awareness surveilling the whole country—that serves the Dark Lord Sauron-like Trump administration.

Companies named after elements of LOTR use its mythology to frame themselves as heroic underdogs, even as their real-world actions undermine the same ideals they claim to represent. For fans who love Tolkien’s work, it’s a travesty to see its messages twisted by companies with values that are so gravely misaligned. Cloaking the propagation of violence in the symbols of heroism should worry anyone who cares about truth and for not being manipulated by corporations that act out of self-interest instead of the greater good.

However, there are ways to counter this misuse of literature and outrageous self-aggrandizement. A necessary first step is to simply point out the hypocrisy of these companies. This branding highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of Tolkien’s key themes in LOTR and an intentional attempt to twist their narrative. This makes finding communities of like-minded LOTR fans crucial; in a world where the loudest Tolkien fans are also the most corrupt, it’s important to find communities that share the same appreciation of the story.

Reengaging ourselves with stories about genuine heroism, sacrifice, community and purpose—like LOTR or many other stories, real or fictional, is the next step. These narratives are inspirational for all in the world we live in today. In our digital age, especially at Stuyvesant where it’s so hard to find time to do the things we enjoy, reading can feel like an impossible and even meritless task, but its value is unquestionable; it strengthens not only our brains but also our empathy.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” Gandalf’s response to Frodo is a powerful lesson for us all. We won’t be able to stop wealthy companies like Anduril and Palantir from misusing the narratives of LOTR, but we have the power to match these truly righteous ideas with our behavior and determine for ourselves who is worthy of the title of “hero.”