By the Daily Post staff
Alex Karp, CEO of data analytics firm Palantir, told “Axios on HBO” that his company is “getting close” to deciding whether to leave Palo Alto and head to another state.
Karp blamed the “increasing intolerance and monoculture” of Silicon Valley. Protesters have targeted Palantir, whose offices are in several downtown Palo Alto locations, for selling technology to federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstrators claimed Palantir’s customers violated human rights.
Karp admitted that some of his favorite employees resigned over the controversies.
“I had people protesting me. People protesting me, some of whom I think asked really legitimate questions,” said Karp in an interview that aired Monday night. “I’ve asked myself if I were younger, at college, would I be protesting me? And you know, it depends?”
Karp said he has worked from a barn in New Hampshire for the past 15 years.
“I’m used to being social distanced in the Valley. And now social distancing has become a way of life,” Karp said.
Karp said Palantir might go public within the year. Bloomberg reported in April that Palantir documents showed the company expected $1 billion in 2020 revenue.
Glad he didn’t feel the need to get dressed up for the interview.
Not that many Palo Altans will miss him.
Monoculture?
@Brendan: Yes, there is a stiflingly illiberal left wing orthodoxy that’s pervaded Palo Alto for decades. Unfortunately it’s spreading to the rest of Silicon Valley.
Actual classical liberalism is at tolerant or even welcoming of different viewpoints in the interests of open-mindedness and frankly better results that can come from embracing differing ideas. True liberals welcome a broad marketplace of ideas where the best ideas win on their merits. They don’t force a winner as central planners are wont to do.
Karp is an interesting philosopher-king to lead Palantir. He’s far more thoughtful and aware than those who have neither met nor studied him are apparently aware. Perhaps ironically he has a counter-culture background, but that opposing viewpoint makes him a more effective scientist since it benefits creativity, counterbalance, broader ideas and mindful reflection.
I can’t say that many people in the city would be sad to see them go. They certainly have not been the nicest of neighbors and what they do seems to fly in the face of a lot of what the residence of Palo Alto stand for.
@IMHO So are you saying that the “residence” [sic] of Palo Alto support money laundering, fraud and terrorism? Because that most of what Palatir’s tools are used to detect and stop.
If he can’t handle a little bit of protest, and it has been only a small amount, then he’s in the wrong business. It sounds like he wants to be in a monoculture, just on the other side than that of some protesters. If we keep dividing politically and choose to move rather than listen then we’re heading in the direction of Northern Ireland.
Lol snowflake or warmflake
Best news possible for downtown PA. Startups will be able to find space, lunch spots will have customers; return to the good ol’ days. They can’t vacate soon enough.
Bye Felicia.
Good riddance.
Alex took a lovely 100+ year old house in my neighborhood and turned it into an ugly structure with blue metal siding and and weeds in the yard, leaving it as an eyesore during the 2+ years it was being transformed into a formidable fortress. I guess he never moved in. So typical when entitled executives mindlessly devalue the charm and character of a lovely old house and neighborhood.
Silicon valley is becoming an area where divergence of opinions are unwelcome. If you do not assimilate to the neo liberal thoughts you are frowned upon, shamed and treated like a pest.
The left-wing is unhinged. The rest of us cannot speak our opinions. Right to free speech? Only if you agree with them. .
You misunderstand your rights. The *government* has limited power to restrict what you say. Other citizens neither have to listen to you, nor stay silent when you say things they find offensive.
Please go.
The more Tech that moves to Red States, the less Red they become.
Karp and his hander Peter Thiel may be Red Billionaires, but Palintr’s employees not so much.
Jenny and Paul, not all opinions have equal value. Here’s an example: “This is just a flu, it’s not a big deal, forcing me to wear a mask is a violation of my rights, we need to open the economy because it’s more important than keeping people from dying.”
Some opinions are informed (by facts, experts, reasoning), others are disinformed (by Facebook memes, or politicians and a media that amplifies and bends over backwards to justify the insane ramblings of an increasingly unstable narcissist). If you’re on one side of that, then yeah, you’re going to feel like your opinions are unwelcome.
Please stop thinking about it and just do it already.
Bye Bye.
The CC should bar the companies/company replacing Palantir from running their own cafeterias which hurts local businesses. Also, it would be special to not have Palantir workers dominating the councils and commiussion in PA and Menlo Park, forcing US to pay the commuters’ commuting expenses which PA just reduced from $750,000 to $450,000.
great company, but good thing for them to relocate. Downtown Palo Alto should stay as breeding ground for future unicorns.
If Palantir leaves, Palo Alto Forward is done. Goodbye Adrian Fine. Don’t let the door hit you on the butt as you leave.
Mr. Karp will be the first of many who will be leaving The Golden State. Musk also hinted about leaving. Facebook, Google/Alphabet hinted at having their workforce maintain the work-from-home culture which encourages them to leave the state. Working from home and living in a low tax state can save a family thousands per year. Then there is no reason to stay in a high tax state.