De-tease: Buck Sexton’s “Manhattan Project 2” Picks

A new promo for an “entry-level” investment newsletter fronted by Buck Sexton claims the U.S. will launch a massive, government-led AI push—framed as “Manhattan Project 2”—with as much as $2.2 trillion flowing toward a handful of companies. A key date, October 15, is highlighted as a potential catalyst tied to an AI action plan and a wave of executive orders and contracts. That deadline is speculative, but the pitch implies big upside for select tech, defense, and energy names.

The setup

The ad leans on a wartime analogy: the original Manhattan Project created corporate giants by channeling huge federal spending to specialized firms. The historical comparison is glossier than accurate—DuPont, Kodak, and GE were already formidable before their wartime roles—but the message is clear: if Washington pours money into AI, early investors in key suppliers could benefit.

The tease frames three “ASI” enablers as the brain, the body, and the backbone of America’s AI buildout. Here’s what the clues point to—and what investors should consider.

The “brain”: Palantir (PLTR)

Clues: Longstanding work with the CIA, NSA, FBI, and DHS; billions in cumulative U.S. government contracts; software that integrates vast, real-time data; involvement in autonomous systems; a large patent trove. The “brain” label and national security focus fit Palantir.

What to know: Palantir is no hidden micro-cap—it’s a widely followed, large-cap software company with strong brand recognition, especially in government analytics and increasingly in commercial AI platforms. Margins have improved as the business scales, and profitability is moving in the right direction. The flip side: the stock is richly valued and priced for high growth and sustained margin expansion. Any slowdown in revenue or operating leverage could mean sharp volatility. Palantir may benefit from rising federal AI spend, but expectations are already demanding.

The “body”: AMD (AMD)

Clues: Positioned as a “next Nvidia” competitor; new AI accelerators rivaling Nvidia’s Blackwell generation; a unified, hyperscale chip architecture; public endorsements from major AI players; potential as a hardware foundation for autonomous systems.

What to know: AMD is a leading chip designer competing in GPUs for AI training and inference, as well as CPUs and data center components. Its latest accelerators target performance, power, and cost advantages and aim to capture share as data centers diversify away from single-vendor stacks. The opportunity is enormous, but so is the competition: Nvidia’s ecosystem, software moat, and customer lock-in remain formidable. AMD’s outlook depends on execution, supply, developer adoption, and pricing dynamics. Valuation assumes continued growth, yet still looks reasonable if earnings scale as expected—though the AI hardware cycle can be lumpy.

The “backbone”: Symbotic (SYM)

Clues: AI robotics that automate warehouse supply chains; a multibillion-dollar backlog; major retail commitments, including very large deployments; potential government interest down the line.

What to know: Symbotic builds and runs automated warehouse systems, pairing robotics with AI-driven orchestration. The company’s marquee customer relationships and growing backlog suggest a long runway. Revenues can be choppy because project completions drive recognition, while the long-term margin story is tied to software and services layered on top of installed systems. Key risks include customer concentration (notably with big-box retail), manufacturing scale-up, and the time it takes for higher-margin recurring revenue to dominate. If execution stays on track, Symbotic could become foundational infrastructure for logistics automation—but it will likely take years to fully play out.

The “bonus” pick: AeroVironment (AVAV)

The promo also floats a “freebie” in drones. AeroVironment supplies small unmanned systems and loitering munitions, benefiting from elevated defense demand. Growth has been strong, and expectations are high, which is reflected in a premium multiple. As with many defense names, funding visibility helps, but program timing and geopolitics can still swing results.

About that October 15 catalyst

The pitch circles a specific date as the moment a plan lands on the president’s desk and triggers a flood of orders. Even if the policy momentum is real, pinpoint timing on federal spending waves is rarely precise. AI is a national priority, but the rollout often spans months or years, through budgets, pilots, and procurements. Treat “deadline” narratives as marketing, not a calendar guarantee.

How to think about the theme

• Big picture: AI infrastructure, defense autonomy, and digital logistics are clear multi-year trends with public-sector tailwinds.
• Company quality: The teased names are credible category leaders or emerging leaders—not obscure microcaps.
• Valuations: Some are priced for excellence. That can work—but leaves little room for execution hiccups.
• Risk: Policy timing, competition, supply constraints, and customer concentration can all inject volatility.

Bottom line

The “Manhattan Project 2” narrative is a flashy wrapper on a real theme: sustained investment in AI software, compute, and automation, including by government. The teased stocks appear to be Palantir (brain), AMD (body), and Symbotic (backbone), with AeroVironment as a bonus. Each has a plausible role in an AI buildout—and each carries distinct risks and expectations.

If you’re interested, build positions thoughtfully, diversify across the AI stack rather than betting on a single winner, and be cautious about trading around a specific date. Long-term trends, not headlines, will determine outcomes.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Always do your own research and consider your risk tolerance before investing.