When Peter Thiel and Alex Karp founded their data analytics company Palantir (Stocktangle answer #110) in 2003, they reached into the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings for inspiration. The palantíri (plural of palantír, meaning "far-seeing" in Elvish) were ancient crystal orbs crafted by the Elves of Valinor. In Tolkien's world, these indestructible stones allowed their users to gaze across vast distances, communicate with one another, and observe events unfolding far away. Most famously, Saruman and Sauron used them to spy and scheme, while Aragorn ultimately wielded one to assert his authority as the rightful king. The metaphor was irresistible for a company built on the promise of seeing patterns hidden within massive, chaotic datasets, connecting dots across intelligence, defense, and enterprise landscapes.

Palantir isn't alone in drawing from Middle-earth. The venture capital firm Mithril Capital, co-founded by Peter Thiel and Ajay Royan, takes its name from the legendary Dwarven metal: lightweight, stronger than steel, and incredibly rare, much like the outsized returns the firm seeks. Anduril Industries, the defense technology company founded by Palmer Luckey, is named after Aragorn's reforged sword, symbolizing renewed strength and purpose. Even smaller products have joined the trend, with various software tools and startups borrowing names like Shadowfax and Shire over the years.

Tolkien's richly detailed universe, with its languages, materials, and artifacts, offers an almost endless well of evocative names, and Silicon Valley has never been shy about drinking from it.

Learn more: Business Insider

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