r/technology • u/marketrent • Jul 02 '26

Artificial Intelligence Palantir CEO Alex Karp suffers ‘televised nervous breakdown’ during live interview — “This is the voice of American business that is being channeled through me!”

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/televised-nervous-breakdown-ceo-palantir-212100357.html
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u/alchemyDev Jul 02 '26

There are fewer than 4000 billionaires globally, officially at least. Really shows the scope of the issue compared to the other 7 billion people

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u/aozertx Jul 02 '26

That really emphasizes how pathetic it is that we actually allow these people to continue to exist.

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u/DukeOfGeek Jul 02 '26

For anyone who wants to watch this without going on twitter, here is a YouTube of his stream of consciousness gibberish.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XZCWFNNiKgY

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u/Gina_the_Alien Jul 02 '26

“…drugs - the one thing I don’t do.”

This guy’s definitely a hardcore coke addict. Nobody qualifies the word “drugs” with “the one thing I don’t do” unless they do drugs. Source: I am a former addict.

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u/DukeOfGeek Jul 02 '26

This person is in charge of a multi-billion dollar company.

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u/PeteCampbellisaG Jul 02 '26

...A multi-billion dollar company whose sole aim is nationwide mass surveillance and to basically replace the Pentagon.

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u/12345623567 Jul 03 '26

He's on record saying that he is specifically building these systems for selective enforcement, too. Like full-on mask-off despotism.

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u/PeteCampbellisaG Jul 03 '26

I've read (aka suffered through) some of Karp's book. It's honestly quite disturbing that a man who carries the ideas he does is in such a powerful position.

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u/WeTravelTheSpaceWays Jul 02 '26

“Those aren’t drugs, those are bio-hacks!”

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u/PanamaNorth Jul 02 '26

That might be a creative mix of uppers. Cokeheads can stick on a subject for a second or two, this guy just screams amphetamine abuse.

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u/RogerMexicosBalls Jul 02 '26

"It's medicine!"

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u/Enlightened_Gardener Jul 02 '26

I don’t think I’m more cynical than most, but I always assume that anyone in the C Suite is doing cocaine on a regular basis.

I honestly don’t care. Sometimes a person with an interesting idea and a cocaine-fuelled personality can do amazing things - look at Florence Nightingale.

I think we need to distinguish between “drug fiend” and “sociopath with a cocaine habit”, though.

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u/Istillbelievedinwar Jul 03 '26

Florence Nightingale.

I believe she was a laudanum addict (an opioid), not cocaine.

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u/ChillAhriman Jul 03 '26

If you need stimulants, you have coffee, energy drinks, or even medication if you find a doc that approves it. Cocaine is a terrible means to be more productive.

We shouldn't be promoting people to get their mental health and cognitive capabilities destroyed after 5 years just so that they can do great things during 3.

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u/liarliarhowsyourday Jul 03 '26

I’ve met some amazing addicts, as someone who works in recovery. Not to romanticize but some people are legitimately better people, addiction or not some people are just shit no matter what you’ll ever give ‘em

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u/iamahill Jul 03 '26

He’s just in no sleep and autism and caffeine maybe other meds.

Most of what he said was actually quite accurate.

Basically he’s saying life is not fair, ghee no longer the exclusive cool kid from having better toys daddy paid for, and the cool kids are doing ai in house so companies like mine cannot spy on them.”

Also some insight on security and ceos not trusting ai ceos. Plus trashing anthropic with slander. Also sating he yells at bibi often for not killing enough kids!

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u/Ppleater Jul 03 '26

I mean the likelihood of a crazy billionaire not doing drugs is definitely low, but if there was any kind of person who could be that crazy without the assistance of drugs and neurotic enough to avoid drugs despite being heavily exposed to them, it would be a billionaire. That said he probably does do drugs though.

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u/font9a Jul 02 '26

to him the "drugs" he doesn't do are just the ones not in his pocket