Alex Karp is CEO of Palantir Technologies, whose data analysis has helped fight terrorism. Here’s how he went from broke academic to billionaire CEO.

On a call with investors earlier this week, Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp—fresh off a week of stock surges—was euphoric. “We’re doin’ it!” he yelled, arms spread wide.

An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link Alex Karp, the cofounder and CEO of the software company Palantir, said that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency would disrupt the ...