Alex Karp

Updated 2026-04-06

CEO and co-founder of Palantir. Holds a doctorate in social theory from Frankfurt, where he studied under Habermas, which already makes him unusual among tech founders. Known for an explicitly political stance: Palantir works deliberately with Western intelligence agencies and militaries, and Karp defends that as a moral obligation.

Ideas and Positions

  • technology companies have responsibilities toward democratic states, not only toward shareholders
  • military AI superiority matters for geopolitical stability
  • the standard Silicon Valley stance of “build it and let someone else deal with consequences” is inadequate

Connections