Alex Karp, chief executive of Palantir Technologies, has acquired approximately 37,000 acres of forest land in northern Sweden, the company and local reports said Thursday. The purchase, completed through Karp's newly registered company Cladonia Skog AB, was finalized for roughly 235 million Swedish kronor, or $22 million, according to the Swedish newspaper Tidningen Härjedalen.
The forest parcel in Härjedalen was previously owned by Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, the paper manufacturer commonly known as SCA. Following the transfer of ownership, SCA confirmed that hunting lease agreements it had granted on the land could no longer continue, as the company no longer holds title to the property. Hunting leases in the region typically run for approximately 11 months and are renewed on an annual basis.
Hunters in the area received notifications by mail alerting them they could no longer lease the land to hunt south of the quiet village of Storsjö Kapell, a locality known for its hiking and fishing opportunities. In a statement, Jenny Lopes Da Silva, a board member of Cladonia and sales manager at Scandinavian Trust, said the new owner is committed to the beauty of the land and its preservation. "The vast, natural forest landscapes offer valuable habitats for plants and animals, while also serving as a place for recreation and restoration," she said.
Alex Karp has longstanding ties to Sweden through Palantir, which established a partnership with Swedish defense authorities and expanded its software-development offering in Europe about a decade ago. The acquisition adds a new dimension to Karp's relationship with the country, even as the European Union has raised concerns about continued reliance on Palantir's services given plans to reduce dependence on US technology and AI.
The transaction marks a notable land-use change in Härjedalen, where the new ownership will replace previous hunting rights with a focus on conservation and land stewardship under Karp's direction.
