Palmer Luckey

Palmer Luckey made a name for himself designing virtual reality headsets out of a camper trailer in his parents’ driveway at age 19. That venture, Oculus, ignited the VR boom and was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. After his controversial termination from Facebook, Luckey went on to cofound the fast-growing defense-tech company Anduril, which uses artificial intelligence to power weapons that are predominantly used by the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and, as of 2022, Ukraine. Anduril was valued at $30.5 billion earlier this year, making it one of the 13 most valuable private companies in the world. Luckey has used his heightened influence on the global stage to call attention to potential risks and ethical considerations when using AI in warfare, as well as publicly insult those he feels have wronged him. At Anduril, Luckey is spearheading a project to develop battlefield headsets for the U.S. Army—an opportunity for the virtual reality star to return to his roots.

Read more: Oculus founder Palmer Luckey is back, revolutionizing warfare with a $14 billion startup. And this time he wants you to like him