The Philosopher in the Valley

Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State

By: Michael Steinberger

Narrated by: Jonathan Beville

An acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer brings us into the world of the controversial technology firm Palantir and its very colorful and outspoken CEO, Alex Karp, tracing the ascent of Big Data, the rise of surveillance technology, and the shifting global balance of power in the 21st century.

Palantir builds data integration software: its technology ingests vast quantities of information and quickly identifies patterns, trends, and connections that might elude the human eye. Founded in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terrorism—an early investor was the CIA—Palantir is now a $400 billion global colossus whose software is used by major intelligence services (including the Mossad), the US military, dozens of federal agencies, and corporate giants like Airbus and BP. From AI to counterterrorism to climate change to immigration to financial fraud to the future of warfare, the company is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century.

Its CEO, Alex Karp, is a distinctive figure on the global business scene. A biracial Jew who is also severely dyslexic, Karp has built Palantir into a tech giant despite having no background in either business or computer science. Instead, he’s a trained philosopher who has become known for his strongly held views on a range of issues and for his willingness to grapple with the moral and ethical implications of Palantir’s work. Those questions have taken on added urgency during the Trump era, which has also brought attention to the political activism of Karp’s close friend and Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel.

In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger explores the world of Alex Karp, Palantir, and the future that they are leading us toward. It is an urgent and illuminating work about one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive and powerful companies, whose technology is at the leading edge of the surveillance state.

Trump bashing

can't take the book seriously when he takes a partisan jab at Trump on every page

Great Biography, Terrible Author Bias

Karp and Palantirs story is told well. It’s a fascinating and compelling tale on its own, but the author cannot help himself and has to insert his own takes and biases on current events into the narrative.

It’s really jarring and detracts from the main story which does a phenomenal job of just telling you what palantir and karp say and do, while letting you make up your own mind.

On other issues the author betrays his neutrality in a predictable and consistent way.

Pretty Good

Gives a good sense of the company’s history while painting a compelling story.

Author was slightly too negative towards the political right and could have defended Palantir and Karp more but the author goal was not to tell the reader what to think(in my estimation). The author does an excellent job balancing the inside view( the views within Palantir) vs the outside view (how the world sees Karp and the company).

I hope to get a part 2 in a decade

The rise of the surveillance state, data collection and the loss of privacy.

Excellent insight into Alex Karp's mind, how he thinks and what he is doing with Palantir

Excellent Book, but made me exit my position in Palantir

Excellent book. However, it left me terrified for my stock position in Palantir. Palantir has been the largest position in my portfolio for over a year. After listening to Karp’s petulant, unhinged interviews following Michael Burry’s short position and finishing this book at the same time, I have concluded that Karp, while unquestionably brilliant, is a loose cannon that needs to keep his mouth shut or risk an exodus of investors and a crashing of Palantir that could throw fire on Burry’s short position and burst the Palantir stock bubble in a stunning manner. I exited my entire position in Palantir on November 11 at $190, and plan to stay on the sidelines to, hopefully, take a bite after the implosion —which, hopefully, will result in a needed humbling of Mr. Karp, as he has let success and his petty grievances fill him with hubris. I am still a fan of the company, but I see Karp’s arrogance as putting the stock at risk in the near term. Definitely read this book if you are a fan of Mr. Karp or an investor in Palantir.