JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: It's not a household name, but its power is immense - Palantir. For years, the surveillance company has done work for the Pentagon and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and now it's expecting a boom in the second Trump administration. NPR's Bobby Allyn takes a closer look at the rise of Palantir. BOBBY ALLYN, BYLINE: Palantir CEO Alex Karp couldn't contain his excitement. He was on an earnings call with investors earlier this year. Palantir's profits were soaring. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) ALEX KARP: We're doing it. We're doing it. And I'm sure you're enjoying this as much as I am. ALLYN: Karp and investors have a lot to enjoy. Palantir - the name comes from the seeing stones from "Lord Of The Rings" - has been booming. It's gone from a $50 billion company last April to now being worth nearly 300 billion. For context, that's bigger than Verizon and Disney.