Lewis Sage-Passant
@encyclopediageopolitica.com
Global Head of Intelligence @ big European corporation, Adjunct Prof in Intelligence at Sciences Po Paris. Author on private intel. Podcasting on dangerous stuff and writing about geopolitics @ EncyclopediaGeopolitica.com
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If you're curious about how companies use #intelligence to navigate #geopolitical threats, check out my new book, "Beyond States and Spies: the Security Intelligence Services of the Private Sector", out now from Edinburgh University Press! edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-beyond-...
It's that time of year: Encyclopedia Geopolitica has published its 2026 geopolitical reading list!
#geopolitics #security #intelligence #readinglist
encyclopediageopolitica.com/2025/11/18/t...
#geopolitics #security #intelligence #readinglist
encyclopediageopolitica.com/2025/11/18/t...
November 18, 2025 at 4:11 PM
It's that time of year: Encyclopedia Geopolitica has published its 2026 geopolitical reading list!
#geopolitics #security #intelligence #readinglist
encyclopediageopolitica.com/2025/11/18/t...
#geopolitics #security #intelligence #readinglist
encyclopediageopolitica.com/2025/11/18/t...
MI5 has warned of espionage in which individuals are offered freelance geopolitical analysis work. I've seen these "cash for reports" ads on LinkedIn, posted by suspicious users offering high sums yet lacking the specificity that would give such reports actual value.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
MPs and peers warned of China spy risk on LinkedIn
MI5 has issued a new "espionage alert" to members of the House of Commons and Lords.
www.bbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
MI5 has warned of espionage in which individuals are offered freelance geopolitical analysis work. I've seen these "cash for reports" ads on LinkedIn, posted by suspicious users offering high sums yet lacking the specificity that would give such reports actual value.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Given the #Louvre heist, it is worth a revisit to this amazing episode on art crime!
#podcast #crime #art #heist
encyclopediageopolitica.com/2025/01/01/h...
#podcast #crime #art #heist
encyclopediageopolitica.com/2025/01/01/h...
How to get on a Watchlist (S3, E8): How to Steal a Masterpiece
In today’s episode, we’re discussing “How to steal a masterpiece” with Robert K. Wittman. Robert is the former Senior Investigator and Founder of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Nati…
encyclopediageopolitica.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:53 PM
My favourite time of year! Back on campus at Sciences Po Paris for another semester of undergrad and MA intelligence in the public and private sectors!
#intelligence #sciencespo
#intelligence #sciencespo
September 5, 2025 at 10:14 AM
My favourite time of year! Back on campus at Sciences Po Paris for another semester of undergrad and MA intelligence in the public and private sectors!
#intelligence #sciencespo
#intelligence #sciencespo
Despite the headline, this isn't limited to tech and it isn't limited to exec security. Corporate security spending is up across the board due to geopolitical/conflict risks, economic espionage, resilience requirements, and crisis management.
#intelligence #security
www.ft.com/content/303d...
#intelligence #security
www.ft.com/content/303d...
Tech bosses spend millions more on personal security
Companies including Meta and Nvidia have increased their protection budgets after death threats and cyber attacks
www.ft.com
August 15, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Despite the headline, this isn't limited to tech and it isn't limited to exec security. Corporate security spending is up across the board due to geopolitical/conflict risks, economic espionage, resilience requirements, and crisis management.
#intelligence #security
www.ft.com/content/303d...
#intelligence #security
www.ft.com/content/303d...
"French authorities are investigating a network that allegedly tried to court elite university students and junior bankers, betting they’d one day land top finance jobs and hand over market-moving intelligence."
#intelligence #insiderrisk #espionage
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
#intelligence #insiderrisk #espionage
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Insider-Trading Gang Allegedly Courted Future Rothschild Banker
In a novel twist on insider trading probes, French authorities are investigating a network that allegedly tried to court elite university students and junior bankers, betting they’d one day land top f...
www.bloomberg.com
July 29, 2025 at 10:13 AM
"French authorities are investigating a network that allegedly tried to court elite university students and junior bankers, betting they’d one day land top finance jobs and hand over market-moving intelligence."
#intelligence #insiderrisk #espionage
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
#intelligence #insiderrisk #espionage
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Another deeply frustrating article which reduces the extremely broad (and overwhelmingly ethical, legal, and frankly friendly) private intelligence field to a handful of dodgy private investigations and Due Diligence firms.
#intelligence #investigations
www.politico.eu/article/uk-b...
#intelligence #investigations
www.politico.eu/article/uk-b...
Britain’s spies-for-hire are running wild
Lucrative, freewheeling — and largely unregulated — private intelligence and security firms are booming in the land of James Bond and John le Carré.
www.politico.eu
July 25, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Another deeply frustrating article which reduces the extremely broad (and overwhelmingly ethical, legal, and frankly friendly) private intelligence field to a handful of dodgy private investigations and Due Diligence firms.
#intelligence #investigations
www.politico.eu/article/uk-b...
#intelligence #investigations
www.politico.eu/article/uk-b...
Tech theft isn't new: China's tea secrets were stolen by an East India Company spy and Venetian telescope makers were confined to the isle of Murano to prevent leaks. The (connected) modern economy and research collab makes the scale of today's challenge different though!
www.ft.com/content/f896...
www.ft.com/content/f896...
OpenAI clamps down on security after foreign spying threats
Artificial intelligence group has added fingerprint scans and hired military experts to protect important data
www.ft.com
July 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Tech theft isn't new: China's tea secrets were stolen by an East India Company spy and Venetian telescope makers were confined to the isle of Murano to prevent leaks. The (connected) modern economy and research collab makes the scale of today's challenge different though!
www.ft.com/content/f896...
www.ft.com/content/f896...
Looking forward to reviewing this very timely release from Aviva Guttmann! Special thanks to Cambridge Uni Press for the review copy 🥰
#intelligence #assassinations #readinglist
#intelligence #assassinations #readinglist
June 29, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Looking forward to reviewing this very timely release from Aviva Guttmann! Special thanks to Cambridge Uni Press for the review copy 🥰
#intelligence #assassinations #readinglist
#intelligence #assassinations #readinglist
Everyone seems to think they have independently invented the corporate geopolitical risk field. CEOs have not left international relations to "lobbyists"; most have sophisticated political risk teams!
#geopolitics #politicalrisk #intelligence #business
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
#geopolitics #politicalrisk #intelligence #business
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
CEOs Need to Stop Outsourcing Politics
For decades, global capitalism ruled. But with national security now overshadowing economic priorities, leaders must adapt.
www.bloomberg.com
June 24, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Everyone seems to think they have independently invented the corporate geopolitical risk field. CEOs have not left international relations to "lobbyists"; most have sophisticated political risk teams!
#geopolitics #politicalrisk #intelligence #business
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
#geopolitics #politicalrisk #intelligence #business
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
Trump could learn from the Danish defence forces’ way to sign off their post: ”we are monitoring the situation and have nothing more to add.”
Kommentar vedrørende situationen i Qatar:
@forsvaretdk har et mindre antal soldater i Qatar. De er i god behold. Forsvaret moniterer løbende situationen og har ikke yderligere at tilføje. #dkforsvar
@forsvaretdk har et mindre antal soldater i Qatar. De er i god behold. Forsvaret moniterer løbende situationen og har ikke yderligere at tilføje. #dkforsvar
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Trump could learn from the Danish defence forces’ way to sign off their post: ”we are monitoring the situation and have nothing more to add.”
Another likely sabotage incident adjacent to a major French cultural event (the last was a series of TGV line sabotage incidents on the eve of the Paris olympics).
www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/a...
www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/a...
Sabotage causes power outage at Cannes hours before Palme d'Or ceremony
A suspected arson attack on electrical infrastructure plunged 160,000 homes into darkness and disrupted early events at the Cannes Film Festival.
www.lemonde.fr
May 24, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Another likely sabotage incident adjacent to a major French cultural event (the last was a series of TGV line sabotage incidents on the eve of the Paris olympics).
www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/a...
www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/a...
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
Bravo à @larevuedesmedias.bsky.social et à l'équipe de @francoisquinton.bsky.social pour cette enquête remarquable sur la couverture par le PAF des opérations d'influence menées par les services de renseignement russes (Etoiles de David, Mains rouges). 1/3
larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/etoiles-davi...
larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/etoiles-davi...
Étoiles bleues, mains rouges : les télévisions et radios françaises instrumentalisées par la Russie
Il aura suffi de quelques milliers d’euros pour semer le trouble en France. Des centaines d’étoiles de David bleues et de mains rouges, taguées dans un contexte explosif, cachaient en réalité des camp...
larevuedesmedias.ina.fr
May 15, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Bravo à @larevuedesmedias.bsky.social et à l'équipe de @francoisquinton.bsky.social pour cette enquête remarquable sur la couverture par le PAF des opérations d'influence menées par les services de renseignement russes (Etoiles de David, Mains rouges). 1/3
larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/etoiles-davi...
larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/etoiles-davi...
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
"The CCP has designed a full-stack approach to information collection at Stanford and beyond."
stanfordreview.org/investigatio...
stanfordreview.org/investigatio...
INVESTIGATION: Uncovering Chinese Academic Espionage at Stanford
This summer, a CCP agent impersonated a Stanford student. Under the alias Charles Chen, he approached several students through social media. Anna*, a Stanford student conducting sensitive research on ...
stanfordreview.org
May 8, 2025 at 10:59 AM
"The CCP has designed a full-stack approach to information collection at Stanford and beyond."
stanfordreview.org/investigatio...
stanfordreview.org/investigatio...
In light of CNN’s recent reporting that the administration has cut back access to the President’s Daily Brief, I trace here the evolution of a dozen presidents’ choices about the PDB’s dissemination—a 60 year “who’s who” of intelligence-policy relations:
engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-u...
engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-u...
The US President's daily dose of intelligence
Donald Trump’s reported restriction of the President’s Daily Brief represents just the latest change in six decades of ebb and flow in the readership of this top secret, highly coveted document.
engelsbergideas.com
May 7, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
The first Observer overseen by Tortoise Media - and what a picture they got to kick it off.
April 26, 2025 at 8:11 PM
The first Observer overseen by Tortoise Media - and what a picture they got to kick it off.
End of term at Sciences Po Paris is always bittersweet, as I miss teaching the next generation of #intelligence professionals over break, but also look forward to hearing about the amazing things they go on to! This final class was a treat with guest talks by Drs Maria Robson-Morrow & Angela Lewis!
April 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
End of term at Sciences Po Paris is always bittersweet, as I miss teaching the next generation of #intelligence professionals over break, but also look forward to hearing about the amazing things they go on to! This final class was a treat with guest talks by Drs Maria Robson-Morrow & Angela Lewis!
Private sector intelligence capabilities rarely stay confined to the private sector!
#intelligence #geoint
www.ft.com/content/628b...
#intelligence #geoint
www.ft.com/content/628b...
US says Chinese firm is helping Houthis target American warships
Satellite company linked to People’s Liberation Army has supplied images to Iran-backed group in Yemen, say officials
www.ft.com
April 18, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Private sector intelligence capabilities rarely stay confined to the private sector!
#intelligence #geoint
www.ft.com/content/628b...
#intelligence #geoint
www.ft.com/content/628b...
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
😂 I am a big hit with French kids apparently!
@alexzfinley.bsky.social Congrats on your French language release! 😁
April 8, 2025 at 4:38 PM
😂 I am a big hit with French kids apparently!
@alexzfinley.bsky.social Congrats on your French language release! 😁
April 8, 2025 at 7:49 AM
@alexzfinley.bsky.social Congrats on your French language release! 😁
Nice to see my review of Sean West's new book "Unruly" made it into the print edition! A really good read for those curious about the intersection of geopolitics, tech, and the law!
March 26, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Nice to see my review of Sean West's new book "Unruly" made it into the print edition! A really good read for those curious about the intersection of geopolitics, tech, and the law!
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
ONA & Andrew Marshall were crucial to developing the strategies that won the Cold War.
Closing ONA is Absolutely in keeping with an administration that has no interest in actually winning the long-term systemic competition against authoritarian regimes
breakingdefense.com/2025/03/hegs...
Closing ONA is Absolutely in keeping with an administration that has no interest in actually winning the long-term systemic competition against authoritarian regimes
breakingdefense.com/2025/03/hegs...
Hegseth 'disestablishing' Office of Net Assessment, Pentagon's strategic analysis specialists - Breaking Defense
A March 13 memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, obtained by Breaking Defense, orders all employees of the Office of Net Assessment reassigned to different roles and cancels related contracts.
breakingdefense.com
March 14, 2025 at 12:27 AM
ONA & Andrew Marshall were crucial to developing the strategies that won the Cold War.
Closing ONA is Absolutely in keeping with an administration that has no interest in actually winning the long-term systemic competition against authoritarian regimes
breakingdefense.com/2025/03/hegs...
Closing ONA is Absolutely in keeping with an administration that has no interest in actually winning the long-term systemic competition against authoritarian regimes
breakingdefense.com/2025/03/hegs...
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
Bureaucrats are to officials what terrorists are to freedom-fighters.
March 13, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Bureaucrats are to officials what terrorists are to freedom-fighters.
Reposted by Lewis Sage-Passant
"You have the appearance of the U.S. being more of a paper tiger than it has been since the beginning of World War I. [...] These factors [are] increasing [the] assessment of the likelihood of a near-term PRC invasion of Taiwan"
Great piece by A. Clay in @encyclopediageopolitica.com
Great piece by A. Clay in @encyclopediageopolitica.com
Waking the Dragon: Tempting an Invasion of Taiwan
Since 2011, U.S. defense planning has increasingly focused on potential conflicts with China, particularly regarding Taiwan. Anthony Clay discusses evolving perceptions that a PRC invasion may be m…
encyclopediageopolitica.com
March 12, 2025 at 9:07 PM
"You have the appearance of the U.S. being more of a paper tiger than it has been since the beginning of World War I. [...] These factors [are] increasing [the] assessment of the likelihood of a near-term PRC invasion of Taiwan"
Great piece by A. Clay in @encyclopediageopolitica.com
Great piece by A. Clay in @encyclopediageopolitica.com