The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe 464: Palmer Luckey—The Department of War Has a Mullet
6 snips
Jan 13, 2026 
Palmer Luckey, a tech founder known for Oculus and defense startup Anduril Industries, shares his insights on modernizing national defense. He candidly discusses the inefficiencies in America’s military and his belief that it should be renamed the Department of War. Luckey critiques regulations stifling innovation and explores the importance of skilled labor in national security. He advocates for deploying autonomous tools to allies instead of boots on the ground, linking energy independence to economic competitiveness. Plus, hear about his personal projects and Tolkien-inspired philosophy!
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Colorful Arrival, Serious Mission
- Palmer Luckey arrived in a helicopter with a large bodyguard and wore a Hawaiian shirt, board shorts, and toe shoes.
- Mike Rowe highlights Luckey's mullet and irreverent style to show how unconventional he is for a defense founder.
Testing A Shark Suit With Real Risk
- Palmer described testing a stainless-steel shark suit by chum-and-swim trials in the Bahamas.
- He signed a blunt waiver that warned participants they'd face blood and possible dismemberment.
Central Planning Created Fragile Supply
- 'Too big to fail' defense firms reduce resilience and make national production brittle.
- Central planning of consolidation created second-order fragilities that hinder rapid scaling during crises.
