 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1996 (1996) |
| Founder | George Friedman |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Key people |
|
| Products |
|
| Services | Advising |
| Revenue | ~US$10M (2021 est.) |
Number of employees | ~100 (2016) |
| Parent | Rane Corporation[1][2] |
| Website | www |
Strategic Forecasting Inc.,[3] commonly known asStratfor, is an Americanstrategic intelligence publishing company founded in 1996.[4] Stratfor's business model is to provide individual and enterprise subscriptions to Stratfor Worldview, its online publication, and to performintelligence gathering[5] for corporate clients. The focus of Stratfor's content is security issues[6] and analyzinggeopolitical risk.[7]
The origin of Stratfor can be traced to the Center for Geopolitical Studies (CGPS) atLouisiana State University inBaton Rouge, Louisiana. There, professorsGeorge Friedman and Leonard Hochberg built a team that researched geopolitics, builtwargaming simulations, and advised companies ongeopolitical risks and opportunities.[citation needed]
The company was founded in 1996 and named Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) by lead analyst Matthew S. Baker. It was moved to Austin in August 1997 with seven members of the CGPS team who served as part of the co-founding team along with founderGeorge Friedman.[citation needed]
George served as the head of analysis for the organization, and the business was led by several CEOs in the late 1990s and early 2000s as it refined its offerings. Chip Harmon[8] was appointed president in February 2018.
Stratfor was acquired by RANE in 2020.[9]
Stratfor clients have included academic institutions, investment firms, and large corporations such asLockheed Martin,Goldman Sachs,Bank of America,the Coca-Cola Company, andDow Chemical Company.[10][11][12] Many of Stratfor's operatives previously worked for the U.S. government.[13]
Media coverage of their ideas about the1998 bombing of Iraq brought Stratfor into the public eye.[14] At this time, the company had about twenty employees.[15] By 2008 they were up to 40 full-time employees inAustin. 2016 saw the number rise to about 100, three-quarters of whom were based in Austin.[16] Stratfor often hired and trained interns from the nearbyUniversity of Texas.[11]
Stratfor analysts pay for information, but also use open source information to predict where global crises will arise. Stratfor also obtains information by way of personal networks.Fred Burton indicated in leaked emails that he maintained contact with his trusted former CIA sources as a source of information, and that he was aware of the sealed indictment againstJulian Assange in 2011.[11][10][17]Barron's Jonathan Laing has called Stratfor founder George Friedman "one of our favorite experts on geopolitics," saying, "His judgments tend to be more nuanced and long-term than those of the press or Wall Street."[18] More recently,The Atlantic'sJames Fallows referenced a Stratfor article on U.S. strategy inIraq andUkraine, following outbreaks of turmoil in those regions.[19]
Friedman resigned from the company in 2015 to launch a new company,Geopolitical Futures.[20]
Dun & Bradstreet's estimate of Stratfor's 2021 revenue is $11.61 million.[21]
In October 2015, Stratfor raised $12 million in funding through a growth equity investment by Dallas-based Teakwood Capital.[22] Stratfor planned to use the funds to expand its reporting networks, improve operational infrastructure, and move into new markets.[16]
In April 2017, the company launched its core online publication under the name Stratfor Worldview.[23]
Kamran Bokhari, Stratfor's former vice president forMiddle East andSouth Asian affairs, co-wrotePolitical Islam in the Age of Democratization (2013). Reviewer Amani el Sehrawey called the book "an invaluable tool for those seeking to gain knowledge of the nuances of the political systems of the Muslim world from a historical perspective, as well as to understand the contemporary changes happening in the region."[24]
On December 24, 2011, Stratfor's website was hacked.Anonymous claimed responsibility, and also posted data they claim was taken from Stratfor, including credit card details, passwords, and addresses of Stratfor clients.[25] Their email system was also compromised.[26]
In November 2013, computer hackerJeremy Hammond was sentenced to ten years infederal prison for his role in the Anonymous attack.[27] AnFBI informant,Hector Xavier Monsegur (also known as "Sabu"), initially faced 124 years in prison for his role in the attack, but his sentence was reduced to time served plus one year's supervised release in May 2014 in exchange for his cooperation as an FBI informant.[28]
WikiLeaks announced the initial publication of more than five million of Stratfor's e-mail messages on February 26, 2012, under the name Global Intelligence Files.[29] Anonymous said it had leaked the emails to WikiLeaks.[30] George Friedman stated that third parties may have forged or altered the e-mail messages, but that Stratfor would not validate either alterations or authenticity.[31]Stratfor condemned the release.[32]
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)Stratfor Global Intelligence Service, a company based in Austin, Tex., that analyzes geopolitical risk
WikiLeaks' latest release, of hacked emails from Stratfor, shines light on the murky world of private intelligence-gathering
a United States research group that puts out a daily newsletter on security issues
Stratfor Global Intelligence Service, a company based in Austin, Tex., that analyzes geopolitical risk
. . . Stratfor's first big break had come in 1999 with a spate of glowing articles such as this January piece inTime, which reported Stratfor's 'striking' theory that the U.S. bombing of Iraq in December 1998 was 'actually designed to mask a failed U.S.-backed coup.'
The hackers posted a list online that they say contains Stratfor's confidential client list as well as credit card details, passwords and home addresses for some 4,000 Stratfor clients. The hackers also said they had details for more than 90,000 credit card accounts.
Some of the emails may be forged or altered to include inaccuracies. Some may be authentic. We will not validate either [...]
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