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How A 'Deviant' Philosopher Built Palantir, A CIA-Funded Data-Mining Juggernaut

forbes.com · 4,074 words · saved by 1 readers

Since rumors began to spread that a startup called Palantir helped to kill Osama bin Laden, Alex Karp hasn't had much time to himself. On one sun-baked July morning in Silicon Valley Palantir's lean 45-year-old chief executive, with a top-heavy mop of frazzled hair, hikes the grassy hills around Stanford University's massive satellite antennae known as the Dish, a favorite meditative pastime. But his solitude is disturbed somewhat by "Mike," an ex-Marine--silent, 6 foot 1, 270 pounds of mostly pectoral muscle--who trails him everywhere he goes. Even on the suburban streets of Palo Alto, steps from Palantir's headquarters, the bodyguard lingers a few feet behind. "It puts a massive cramp on your life," Karp complains, his expression hidden behind large black sunglasses. "There's nothing worse for reducing your ability to flirt with someone." Karp's 24/7 security detail is meant to protect him from extremists who have sent him death threats and conspiracy theorists who have called Palant

Tech Security How A 'Deviant' Philosopher Built Palantir, A CIA-Funded Data-Mining Juggernaut By Andy Greenberg , Former Staff. Covering the worlds of data security, privacy and hacker culture. Aug 14, 2013, 10:10am EDT Dec 10, 2021, 08:30am EST This article is more than 10 years old. Palantir chief executive Alex Karp. (Credit: Eric Millette for Forbes) By Andy Greenberg and Ryan Mac Since rumors began to spread that a startup called Palantir helped to kill Osama bin Laden, Alex Karp hasn't had much time to himself. On one sun-baked July morning in Silicon Valley Palantir's lean 45-year-old c

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