Alexander Karp buys 15,000 hectares of Swedish forest

Alexander Karp, the CEO of Palantir, has purchased 15,000 hectares of forest in the Härjedalen region of northern Sweden. The transaction was conducted through his newly formed Swedish company, Cladonia Skog AB, with the assistance of Scandinavian Trust. The land was sold by the state-owned forestry giant SCA for approximately 235 to 250 million SEK (roughly 22 million euros).

SCA stated the sale was intended to divest from forest areas that are not optimal for their forestry operations due to their distance from production facilities. The acquired land consists primarily of mountainous forest and areas above the tree line, which SCA noted are well-suited for recreation, hunting, and skiing.

The sale has caused concern among local residents, who first learned of the transaction when local hunting rights were terminated. Some community members expressed fears that the land might be repurposed for data centers, which are often criticized for high electricity consumption. However, representatives from SCA and Scandinavian Trust have stated that no such development is planned, noting that the land is classified as forest land and its location near mountains limits development possibilities. They emphasized that the new owner values the preservation of the natural landscape.