The billionaire CEO of tech giant Palantir skis for at least 5 hours a week, and has the same body fat percentage as prime Michael Phelps, report says

• Palantir CEO Alex Karp is a fitness fanatic who skis for up to five hours a day.
• Axios reported he has just 7% body fat – similar to Michael Phelps' at the 2008 Olympics.

Alex Karp, the CEO and cofounder of data company Palantir, has just 7% body fat, Axios reported.

The 55-year-old told the outlet that he attributes his fitness to spending at least five hours a week cross-country skiing, often in the countryside near his home in New Hampshire.

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps had a body fat of 8% around the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when he took home eight gold medals.

The New York Times previously reported that Karp sometimes skis between 40 and 60 kilometers a day (roughly 25 to 37 miles), weather and time permitting. He even opened Palantir's first-ever pitch to public investors while roller skiing through a forest, and recorded the company's 2021 holiday message on the slopes.

In 2020, Palantir moved its headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Denver – close to some of the country's best ski spots.

Karp told Axios that with fitness he focuses on distance rather than speed, something he learnt from athletes in Norway.

"To run like a deer, you have to spend 90% of your time running like a snail," he said, adding that this approach builds up a powerful base of fitness.

Karp also does daily tai chi and stretching, and keeps pairs of swimming goggles in his office. He's has been pictured at events in ski gear and sometimes exercises during interviews, like the one with Axios.

Though Karp isn't on a strict diet, he's cut out added sugar, Axios reported.

"I don't give things up forever," Karp said. "I have a special event, I eat sugar. If I'm traveling and someone has a really nice Danish, I enjoy every minute of eating it."