History of Alex Karp in Timeline

Alexander Karp is an American businessman and entrepreneur, most notably the co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, a software firm. He co-founded Palantir in 2003 with Peter Thiel, after initially working in investments. In 2025, Time magazine recognized his influence by including him in the Time 100 list.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

October 2, 1967: Alexander Caedmon Karp Born

On October 2, 1967, Alexander Caedmon Karp was born. He is an American businessman and entrepreneur.

Others born on this day/year

1985: Graduated from Central High School

In 1985, Alexander Karp graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia.

1989: Earned Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy

In 1989, Alexander Karp earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

1992: Earned Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School

In 1992, Alexander Karp earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Stanford Law School.

2001: Lived in Frankfurt until 2001

Alexander Karp lived in Frankfurt from the mid-1990s to 2001 and considered staying forever, but ultimately decided to go back to the U.S. for work.

2002: Earned PhD from Goethe University Frankfurt

In 2002, Alexander Karp earned a PhD in neoclassical social theory from Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany.

2003: Co-founded Palantir Technologies

In 2003, Alexander Karp co-founded Palantir Technologies with Peter Thiel.

2004: Co-founded Palantir Technologies as CEO

In 2004, Alexander Karp co-founded Palantir Technologies as CEO along with Peter Thiel and others.

2018: Declared Himself a Socialist and Progressive

In 2018, Alexander Karp stated he is a socialist and a progressive (but not woke), and that he voted for Hillary Clinton.

2019: Would Vote for CDU in Germany

In 2019, Alexander Karp said that in Germany he would vote for the CDU.

2019: EU Delegation Contacted Palantir

In 2019, when the EU delegation visited Washington, the only private company they contacted was Alexander Karp's company, Palantir.

2020: Highest-Paid CEO of a Publicly Traded Company

In 2020, The New York Times ranked Alexander Karp as the highest-paid CEO of a publicly traded company, with compensation worth $1.1 billion, during the year Palantir Technologies went public.

June 2022: Met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

In June 2022, Alexander Karp was the first CEO of a major Western company to meet with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia invaded Ukraine.

December 2023: Remarks on Protests at Columbia University

In December 2023, during demonstrations at Columbia University in Manhattan, New York, Alexander Karp described the output of elite schools as a "pagan religion of mediocrity, and discrimination, and intolerance, and violence."

2023: Participated in Reagan National Defense Forum

In 2023, Alexander Karp participated in the Reagan National Defense Forum, where he criticized the corporate elite for prioritizing profit over standing up for their country.

2023: Advocated for More Control in the U.S. and Innovation in Europe

In 2023, at the opening of the art exhibition "Dimensions. Digital Art since 1859" in Leipzig, Alexander Karp advocated for more control in the U.S. and more innovative spirit in Europe.

2024: Subject of German Documentary

In 2024, Alex Karp is the subject of the German documentary film "Watching You: The World of Palantir and Alex Karp", directed by Klaus Stern, exploring Palantir's influence and Karp's career; Karp chose not to participate.

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2024: Criticism for selling Palantir shares

In 2024, Alex Karp received criticism for selling $1.9 billion of Palantir shares.

2024: Strongly Condemned Pro-Palestinian Protests

In 2024, Alexander Karp strongly condemned the pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, calling their views a "pagan religion" and "an infection inside of our society", and equated peace activists as war activists.

2024: Ranked on Forbes World's Billionaires List

In 2024, Alexander Karp was ranked 1143rd on the Forbes annual World's Billionaires List with a net worth of $2.9 billion.

2024: Highest-Paid CEO in the US

In 2024, Alexander Karp was the highest-paid CEO of a publicly traded company in the United States, with a compensation of almost $6.8 billion, and The Economist chose him as the 2024 CEO of the Year.

2024: Remarks on Western Superiority and Future War

In 2024, The New York Times quoted Alexander Karp discussing his pro-Western views and the likelihood of a three-front war against China, Russia, and Iran, advocating for the development of autonomous weapons. He also stated he was pro-draft.

2024: Identified as Major Biden Donor

In 2024, the Financial Times identified Alexander Karp as a major donor to the Biden campaign, and he expressed concerns about the direction of the Democratic Party while still opposing Trump.

February 2025: Publication of 'The Technological Republic'

In February 2025, Alex Karp, co-author with Nicholas Zamiska, published "The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West." The book critiques Silicon Valley and the West's ambition, advocating for software industry partnerships with government.

February 2025: Remarks about Drones and Analysts

In February 2025, during a talk promoting his book, Alex Karp stated, "I love the idea of getting a drone and having light fentanyl-laced urine spraying on analysts that tried to screw us."

September 2025: Called for German Leaders to Talk About the Crisis

In September 2025, Alexander Karp called for German leaders to address the crisis, suggesting a plan to improve the situation in Germany and save the industry, promoting the political power of business leaders and creating special technological zones.

November 2025: Cited Reasons for Disillusion with Democrats

In November 2025, during an interview with his biographer Michael Steinberger for the book "The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State", Alexander Karp cited Democrats' unresponsiveness to immigration, Iran, and antisemitism as reasons for his disillusion with the party.

2025: Participated in Bilderberg Meeting

In 2025, Alexander Karp participated in the Bilderberg Meeting, and the secret meeting between Karp, Thiel and Sweden's prime minister Ulf Kristersson has caused controversies in Sweden.

2025: Awarded the Lamplighter Award

In 2025, Alexander Karp was awarded the Lamplighter Award, presented to him by Rabbi Levi Shemtov, for his connection with the Jewish community.

2025: Named on Time 100 list

In 2025, Alexander Karp was named on the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people by Time magazine.

2025: Net Worth Ranks Among World's Wealthiest

In 2025, Alexander Karp's net worth at times exceeded $12 billion, ranking him among the 300 wealthiest people in the world on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

2025: Net Worth Exceeds $12 Billion

In 2025, Alexander Karp's net worth exceeded $12 billion, making him among the wealthiest 300 people in the world, as reported by Forbes and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

2025: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2025, Time magazine listed Alexander Karp as one of the world's 100 most influential people, describing him as "the embodiment of a new kind of Silicon Valley billionaire: an unashamed techno-nationalist who evangelizes Western power."

2025: Featured in Documentary

In 2025, the documentary "Watching you – Die Welt von Palantir und Alex Karp" explores the political and business network that Karp has built in Germany.

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