Daniel Ellsberg was an American analyst and researcher who was best known for his role in the Pentagon Paper scandal. He admitted to circulating portions of the classified documents to various publications and exposed the web of lies created by the U.S. government before the Vietnam War. Ellsberg started taking an interest in national security during college. After getting a degree in Economics from Harvard, Ellsberg enrolled in the Marine Corps before deciding to return to research. He started his career at RAND Corporation and focused on issues of national security. At the same time, he earned his PhD and his thesis remains an influential source for scholars in game theory. He next joined the Department of Defense and undertook an assignment to Vietnam and concluded that the war would not be victorious. He returned to RAND and began working on the Pentagon Papers, which were eventually distributed to various newspapers, leading to a restraining order against him, and eventually a trial. Charged under the Espionage Act, the trial lasted for four months before Ellsberg was given a clean chit. After the trial, he devoted his life to activism and academia. He wrote several books, including the famous memoir ‘Secrets’ in 2002. He also served as a Senior Fellow at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.