For Katherine H., a 60-year-old personal chef, the recent rise in Palantir's stock value has been a "blessing."

 

Katherine had experienced the loss of her Tampa, Florida home, vehicle, and many cherished belongings due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene a few months before.

 

However, with this week's increase in Palantir's stock value, her prospects are beginning to improve.

 

"It arrived at just the right moment for me personally, providing me with much-needed motivation," Katherine shared with Business Insider.

 

She was utilizing dollar-cost averaging—where one invests at consistent intervals—into Palantir since her initial stock purchase in October 2020, eventually accumulating just over 1,000 shares at an average cost of $14 each.

 

According to brokerage records seen by Business Insider, she now has a $100,000 gain.

 

Katherine is one of many retail investors who have bought into the AI-driven data analytics company since its public listing in September 2020.

 

The stock initially faced challenges, fluctuating between around $5 and $30 during its first three and a half years of public trading. Yet, following a 341% increase in 2024 and a 52% rise already in 2025, Palantir is now valued at roughly $115 per share.

 

With few supporters among Wall Street analysts, Palantir's achievements might largely be credited to its loyal base of retail investors.

 

One reason for the tech firm's massive following among individual investors—with the r/PLTR subreddit gathering nearly 100,000 members—is its dynamic CEO, Alex Karp.

 

Karp, a co-founder of Palantir in 2004, has developed a reputation as a provocateur who welcomes disrupting the norm and readily provides intriguing quotes during company earnings calls.

 

He's also quite meme-worthy. In the middle of a podcast interview last year, Karp appeared nonchalant, spinning a book on his finger while responding to a question.

 

"I can't believe I'm saying this but Alex Karp might be the coolest aspect of Palantir," Alex Tseng, CEO of Ares Industries, stated in an X post last year, referring to the video.

 

For Katherine, Karp was part of why she believed in the stock.

 

"He's an independent thinker, and I believe he merits that status. His approach is unique, and it clearly benefits the shareholders," Katherine said.

 

Karp has consistently ignored conventional "rules" associated with managing a public company.

 

He avoided the standard IPO process, which involves investment banks promoting the stock to institutional investors, who then get precedence to purchase the stock at an appealing price before retail can join in.

 

Instead, Palantir chose a direct listing method, enabling retail investors to purchase the stock at the same price as institutional investors at the time of going public.

 

Karp, continuing to value his retail following, frequently responds to retail investor queries before addressing sell-side analysts on earnings calls. In its latest call, only two analysts—Wedbush analyst Dan Ives and Bank of America analyst Mariana Perez Mora—were allowed to ask questions about the business.

 

Ives expressed to BI that he believes retail investors comprehended Palantir's story before it was understood by traditional Wall Street.

 

"It's not the common Wall Street approach, but Palantir's altering the tech space, and retail grasped that, and I think the Palantir team embraced that as well."

 

"I held onto it because it's a robust business that was misunderstood for years, and I knew it would bounce back and succeed," Nick F., a 39-year-old technology consultant from Washington, D.C., shared with BI.

 

Nick had put his future retirement in jeopardy after losses during the SPAC craze a few years prior but decided to keep his nearly 1,000 shares of Palantir, partly due to Karp.

 

"He's a brilliant mind. Unconventional but brilliant. Intensely focused on his mission and growth," Nick commented.

 

For Frank F., a 28-year-old business lending consultant residing in New York City, the rise in Palantir's stock has been transformative.

 

Frank began exploring investments during the 2020 meme stock surge and discovered Palantir in November 2021, purchasing 1,000 shares at approximately $23 each.

 

"I stayed invested, and at one point, I was at a substantial loss for my situation. But as the company advanced and I followed the deals they were closing, I grew increasingly confident that the stock would eventually soar," Frank shared with BI.

 

Fast forward to November 2023, Frank made a significant gamble on the stock, withdrawing his entire Roth IRA and investing roughly $180,000 in Palantir stock.

 

"I took a bold step. I invested everything I had into Palantir at $19," Frank stated. "The rest is simply part of the narrative."

 

Frank's account is now valued at around $940,000, as account statements confirm. He sold some shares at approximately $80 back in December to reclaim his initial investment and is now letting the remainder of his investment grow.

 

Karp significantly contributed to Frank's trust in Palantir's stock.

 

"I admire him. I think he's incredible," Frank remarked. "He's always been an outsider on Wall Street, and despite being criticized by Wall Street for such a long time, he has consistently supported retail investors like myself."

 

As for his plans with the Palantir profits, Frank mentioned that purchasing a condo in New York City would be great, but for now, he intends to "simply hang onto it and relax."

 

Katherine also plans to retain her investment in Palantir stock.

 

"I'm not selling anything," she stated. "I'm holding onto it. I am quite fond of it, and I genuinely believe they have a solid future ahead with what they're pursuing. They continually acquire contracts, notably military contracts."

 

Nick said he had reduced some of his Palantir stock positions over time but still holds approximately half of his initial stake and doesn't intend to sell more shares—and now his retirement plan is back on course.

 

"I've recuperated most of my losses and I'm back on track for retirement," Nick reported.

 

For Palantir and its retail investors, the affection is mutual.

 

"Alex, as is often the case, we have numerous individual investors listening in. Is there anything you'd like to express before we conclude the call," Palantir's Ana Soro inquired of Karp during the company's earnings call this week.

 

"Let's not converse with the analysts about the pressure of being accurate," Karp replied. "I am extremely pleased to have you join us for the journey, and you are our partners. Every person at Palantir, we are excelling."