Palantir CEO Alex Karp Buys 3,720-Acre Colorado Monastery Ranch for $120 Million

Alex Karp, the co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, has purchased a sprawling 3,720-acre ranch in Snowmass, Colorado — 15 miles north of Aspen — for $120 million. The property, formerly home to St. Benedict's Monastery, was originally listed at $150 million in 2024, meaning Karp secured a roughly $30 million discount before the deal closed in 2025. The purchase sets a record as the most expensive sale ever in Pitkin County.

The land has a rich and unusual history. The Trappist monks of the Cistercian Order purchased it in 1956 and built the original monastery in 1958, basing its design on a 14th-century French monastery. At its peak, more than a dozen monks lived on the property, sustaining themselves through cattle ranching, candy-making, and selling eggs to local restaurants. By the time of the sale, only about six monks remained — a decline the listing broker attributed to a generational shift away from monastic life in the United States. The monastery still holds public Sunday mass. In addition to its spiritual use, the compound hosted interfaith retreats and events connected to the Aspen Institute.

Karp, whose net worth stands at approximately $11.7 billion, plans to use the property as a personal residence — not develop it commercially. That intention aligned with what the monastery's leadership and the listing broker, Ken Mirr of Douglas Elliman, were seeking. Multiple prospective buyers were turned away, including at least one developer who pitched building a private club modeled on the Yellowstone Club. Pitkin County's strict growth management regulations made large-scale development essentially untenable anyway: Snowmass limits new home floor area to 5,750 square feet, and the county controls annual build quotas through a formal approval process.

The property comes with water rights dating to the 1800s that feed into the Colorado River system, extensive irrigation infrastructure used for growing hay, and significant wildlife habitat. A local rancher will continue managing the land for cattle, conservation, and water operations. Karp, who reportedly spends at least five hours a week cross-country skiing, is well-suited to the location — the ranch sits just 30 minutes from a ski area. He recently relocated Palantir's headquarters from Denver to Miami, but Colorado will serve as his home base.