Austin Billionaire Pushes for Public Executions, Triggering Fierce Backlash

An Austin-based tech mogul is drawing national attention after publicly advocating for the return of public executions in the United States, reports Chron. Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of the University of Austin and more than a dozen companies, including the government-contractor Palantir, made the remarks on X while defending Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s posts about boat strikes on vessels suspected of carrying drugs.

The exchange began when Claire Lehmann, contributing writer at The Dispatch and founding editor of Quillette, criticized Hegseth’s “brag” as “really grotesque,” adding, “Sometimes hard men need to do ugly things, but if you’re going to do this, don’t broadcast it.”

Lonsdale responded sharply. “Leftist schoolmarm leaders cause violence and evil in our civilization. Sinking narco boats publicly helps deter others. As does hanging repeat violent criminals,” he wrote. 

He continued by explicitly calling for public executions: “We will quickly try and hang men after three violent crimes, and yes, we will do it in public to deter others.” Lonsdale added that society needed to “bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable.” 

He described his stance as “moderate,” saying he supported second chances and opposed executing non-violent offenders.

His remarks arrive amid what extremism researchers describe as a growing embrace of more punitive and authoritarian rhetoric among a subset of Silicon Valley elites, often mirroring the agenda and language associated with President Donald Trump.

Some of the companies he has co-founded or supported have also been subject to public scrutiny.

Palantir, in particular, has faced criticism for its work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including tools used to track undocumented immigrants. The company’s leadership and early investors include figures known for right-leaning and hardline political views, such as Peter Thiel and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the latter of whom has vowed to oversee the “largest deportation operation in American history.”