Alex Karp buys 15,000 hectares of Swedish forest

Alex Karp, the CEO and co-founder of Palantir Technologies, has acquired approximately 15,000 hectares of forest land in the Härjedalen region of Sweden. The purchase was made through Cladonia Skog AB, a company in which Karp is the beneficial owner.

The transaction, valued at approximately 235 million Swedish kronor (roughly 22 million euros), involved the purchase of three properties in the Storsjö area within Berg municipality from the forestry company SCA. The land area is roughly equivalent to the size of Stockholm.

While the purchase agreement states the purpose is to “own and manage the forest property and conduct forestry,” representatives for the company have also emphasized a commitment to the “beauty of the land and its preservation.” The acquisition has had immediate local impacts, as two local hunting groups have lost their previous leasing rights to the area. Local officials have noted that the scale of the acquisition has raised questions within the community.