Palantir spent $25M on CEO flights so Alex Karp could do all the talking

Opinion Palantir CEO Alex Karp has a singular mission to stand out among tech CEOs. Big talk on sales, profits, and tech potential is not enough. His gift for edgy one-liners takes him to places where execs of the past would have scarcely dared to go. Say hello to allusions to goose-stepping and innate Western superiority that we assume have audiences rolling in the aisles.

To get that much attention, he also needs to get about – much more than leaders of companies ten times the size of Palantir, it seems. Keeping him on the front pages of the business and investor media means Karp flies on "non-commercial aircraft beneficially owned by him (the "Executive Aircraft") for business and personal travel," according to a recent regulatory filing.

"During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company incurred expenses related to the use of the Executive Aircraft of $17.2 ...