Etienne Breton sold his real estate to buy Palantir stock. By 2025, his holdings were worth $2.5 million

Etienne Breton began buying Palantir shares in late 2020, shortly after the software company went public. By June 2025, his holdings were worth almost $2.5 million. His approach ran counter to conventional investing advice: he put almost everything he had into one company and made Palantir the only stock in his portfolio.

The investor held 17,800 Palantir shares, along with another 2,000 shares purchased on margin, according to brokerage statements reviewed by Business Insider. He had also used options strategies to generate income and continue adding to his position.

Etienne Breton Put Almost Everything Into Palantir Stock

Breton had briefly invested in the stock market about two decades earlier but sold his holdings after the market plunge following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.


He returned to investing during the pandemic after seeing someone sell stocks because of the market crash. Rather than follow that person's approach, he opened an account and began investing.

A YouTube video introduced him to Palantir. As a technical expert at a manufacturing company, Breton saw potential in the software because it appeared capable of addressing problems he encountered at work, including data silos and supply-chain difficulties.

He sold his real estate and put almost everything he had into the stock. Breton began buying shares at around $10 each and continued purchasing them as the price fell as low as $6 in 2020. He tracked his purchases by keeping a running tally on his garage wall.

Breton told Business Insider, “I tried to identify very extraordinary companies. I didn't want to diversify.”

Palantir's AI Platform Launch Came Before a Stock Recovery

By mid-2023, when Palantir's share price returned to around $10, Breton said he held 10,000 shares at an average purchase price of $8.83.

In April 2023, Palantir launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform, known as AIP. The stock began to rebound afterward, according to the Business Insider report.

Breton Used Options to Generate Income From Palantir

Since 2023, Breton has used options strategies to generate income from his Palantir holdings and finance additional purchases.

He began selling covered calls on shares outside his core position and used margin to buy thousands more shares. By spreading contracts across different prices and expiration dates, he sought to generate a stream of income from the premiums he collected. He continued using those proceeds to buy additional Palantir shares.

Breton also bought Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities, or LEAPS, which are options with expiration dates a year or more in the future. He used the strategy to earn income while retaining the potential to benefit from further gains in the stock.

One contract he showed Business Insider involved selling a $185 call and a $130 put expiring in December 2027, while also buying a $45 protective put.

If Palantir stayed between $130 and $185 through December 2027, the two sold options would expire worthless, allowing Breton to keep the premiums. If the stock traded above $185, he would give up additional upside beyond that price. If the stock plunged, the protective put would allow him to sell his shares at a minimum of $45, as described in the report.

Palantir Investor Plans for Early Retirement

Breton acknowledged the risk of having much of his net worth tied to a single stock. He did not plan to sell his underlying Palantir shares, although he was open to investing in another company with money earned from options premiums.

His investment experience also brought retirement closer than he had expected.

Breton told Business Insider, "I'm now planning my retirement, which is approaching much sooner than I ever expected," adding, "I have a nice career, so I don't want to stop all of that. I'll just take my time and maybe explore some business projects."