NEW YORK – In a February investor call marked by fervent enthusiasm, Alex Karp, the chief executive officer of data analytics giant Palantir, declared, “We’re doin’ it!” with arms outstretched. Surrounded by colleagues, the CEO continued, “We are crushing it… We are dedicating our company to the service of inescapably the West and the United States of America… [We are] here to disrupt and.. when it’s necessary to scare enemies and, on occasion, kill them.”
This unvarnished rhetoric comes from the head of a company deeply embedded within the U.S. national security apparatus. Palantir, co-founded by Karp, Peter Thiel, and others over two decades ago, has evolved from a startup backed by early funding from the CIA’s venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel, into a critical partner for American defense and intelligence operations.
Karp, 57, known for an energetic persona and distinctive unruly hair that has inspired its own social media presence, cuts a different figure than some of his more widely recognized Silicon Valley contemporaries. While perhaps less of a household name than Elon Musk or his co-founder Thiel, Karp leads a company whose influence permeates crucial government functions. Palantir’s technology for data analysis, surveillance, and artificial intelligence is utilized extensively by agencies including the FBI, the NSA, and the CIA, as well as various branches of the military.
Despite previously supporting presidential runs for Joe Biden and later Kamala Harris, Karp’s public statements have taken on a more pronounced ideological edge. Last year, he described “wokeness” as a “pagan religion” and asserted it posed a “danger” to the United States and Western culture. His commentary has often aligned with a worldview emphasizing Western exceptionalism and the necessity of technological superiority for national defense.
Karp has also been vocal regarding international affairs. He has expressed strong support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, a conflict from which Palantir’s technology deployment has reportedly generated business. This involvement has drawn scrutiny and controversy. Further highlighting his views on cultural hierarchy, Karp stated at an event in March, “I don’t believe that all cultures are equal.” In February remarks, he characterized Elon Musk’s favored cryptocurrency DOGE as a “revolution,” adding, according to reports, that “some people are going to get their heads cut off.”
Palantir’s business model has always been closely tied to government contracts. As the company matured, a significant portion of its revenue stemmed from its work with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This deep integration means Palantir’s tools and analyses play a substantial role in shaping national security strategies and operations, from domestic surveillance to military applications abroad.
The company’s technology has specifically been identified as playing a role in supporting Israeli military operations in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This participation underscores the real-world consequences of Palantir’s business and places the company, and its outspoken CEO, at the center of debates surrounding technology ethics, warfare, and corporate responsibility in geopolitical conflicts.
While Karp celebrates Palantir “crushing it” and serving the West, his statements and the company’s operational footprint highlight a growing nexus between Silicon Valley innovation and the military-industrial complex. As CEO, Karp represents a faction of the tech industry explicitly aligning its commercial success with national security objectives and projecting a distinct, often controversial, worldview, making Palantir a significant, if sometimes overlooked, force in both technology and global affairs. His leadership continues to steer the company through complex ethical terrains while solidifying its position as a key technological arm for government power.
