The career rise of billionaire Alex Karp, Palantir's outspoken CEO

Avery Hartmans,Sarah JacksonNov 7, 2024, 00:23 IST

Palantir CEO Alex Karp.Fabrice Coffrini/AFP<ul class="summary-list"><li>Alex Karp pursued a Ph.D. and invested on behalf of wealthy European clients before founding Palantir.</li><li>The secretive and controversial big-data company went public in 2020 and recently posted strong quarterly earnings.</li></ul>Alex Karp, longtime CEO of data mining company Palantir, is <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-addresses-critics-robust-earnings-report-2024-11">taking a victory lap</a> on the heels of the company's latest blowout earnings.Palantir, which creates software to manage, analyze, and secure data, recently hit its highest stock price since going public in 2020 following a huge beat on Q3 earnings.Karp, who has been CEO since 2004, is known as an unusual leader, even by Silicon Valley standards. He pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy before joining the startup and sometimes works from a barn.Here's how the 57-year-old Karp got his start, took the helm of the secretive startup, and built it into <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-renews-ice-government-contract-gotham-amid-protests-2019-8">a multi-billion-dollar company</a>.

Alex Karp grew up in Philadelphia.

Karp has described his parents as hippies.Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Karp got his bachelor's degree at Haverford College in Pennsylvania before attending law school at Stanford University.

Karp met Peter Thiel, one of several people with whom he'd later co-found Palantir, at Stanford University, pictured here.Getty

After law school, Karp began working on a Ph.D. in philosophy at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, studying under famed philosopher Jurgen Habermas.

Karp also pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy in Frankfurt, Germany, pictured here.Pigprox/Shutterstock

Around the same time, an inheritance from his grandfather sparked an interest in investing.

Before heading up Palantir, he got into investing on behalf of wealthy clients.Stefani Reynolds for AFP via Getty Images

By 2003, Thiel, Karp's law school classmate, had already founded and sold PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion.

Palantir was founded by several Stanford and PayPal alums.John Lamparski/Getty Images

Karp is known for being an eccentric leader.

Karp is known for some eccentric behavior.Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Karp is a fan of fitness and wellness who practices Qigong meditation and keeps vitamins and extra swim goggles stocked in his office.

He's a fan of Qigong meditation.Yasuyoshi Chiba/Getty Images

Despite a net worth of around $5.4 billion by Forbes' estimates, Karp doesn't appear to spend lavishly.

Palantir was previously based in Palo Alto, California, but since moved its headquarters to Denver.Palantir

Palantir has courted numerous controversies over the years.

Palantir has drawn ire for licensing its tech to law enforcement.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Palantir has also come under fire for its contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Palantir has also faced controversy for its ICE contracts.Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

Karp has responded to criticism of the company's contracts with the military.

Karp has defended Palantir's use by military and intelligence agencies. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The company went public in 2020.

Palantir began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2020.Noam Galai/Getty Images

Following Palantir's Q3 2024 earnings report, Karp boasted about the company's performance and defended himself from critics.

Palantir's US revenue increased 44% year-over-year, it said in Q3 2024 earnings.Bertrand Guay/Getty Images

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