Alex Karp

Benjamin Wachenje

Title: Co-founder and CEO, Palantir Technologies

Born: October 2, 1967, Philadelphia

Education: Stanford University Law School; Ph.D. in philosophy, University of Frankfurt

Early Marker: Founded London-based asset-management company, Caedmon Group

Big Idea: Applying its big-data intelligence analytics software to social-purpose missions beyond those of its government intelligence and defense agencies and financial-firm clients to fulfill a company mission of "making the world a better place"; answering civil liberties groups' question on whether Palantir is Big Brother in the watching-your-back or in the Orwellian sense.

Wave of the Future: Cybersecurity, big data

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CNBC25: Rebels, Icons and Leaders