Palantir vs Scale AI: Founders, CEOs and History
Palantir was founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel, Alexander Karp, Joe Lonsdale and is led by Alexander C. Karp. Scale AI was founded in 2016 by Alexandr Wang, Lucy Guo and is led by Francis deSouza.
Company facts
Founders
Palantir
Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel came up with the idea for Palantir after 9/11, betting that the link-analysis methods PayPal used against fraud rings could help intelligence analysts find terrorist networks.
Alexander Karp
Alexander C. Karp has been Palantir's CEO and a director since 2004. He led the company through its September 2020 direct listing, its first GAAP-profitable year in 2023, S&P 500 inclusion in 2024, and the 2026 headquarters move to the Miami area.
Joe Lonsdale
Joe Lonsdale joined Palantir's founding team in 2003, shortly after finishing Stanford, and worked on early operations and business development.
Stephen Cohen
Stephen Cohen co-founded Palantir in 2003 as a Stanford computer science student and helped build its early engineering culture and software architecture.
Nathan Gettings
Nathan Gettings was part of Palantir's 2003 founding team and contributed engineering experience from PayPal's anti-fraud work to the company's early data-integration technology.
Scale AI
Alexandr Wang
Alexandr Wang co-founded Scale AI in 2016 and was its CEO until June 2025. He led the move from self-driving data into language-model training data and U.S. defense work, and Forbes named him the youngest self-made billionaire in 2022.
Lucy Guo
Lucy Guo co-founded Scale AI with Alexandr Wang in 2016 and led early product and design work. She left in 2018 and later founded the venture firm Backend Capital and the creator platform Passes.
CEOs and their tenures
Palantir
- Peter Thiel2003–present
Co-Founder and Chairman
Chairs the board and holds Class F founder voting shares.
Source - Stephen Cohen2003–present
Co-Founder and President
Serves as President and a director, and holds Class F founder shares.
Source - Alexander C. Karp2004–present
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Has run Palantir for more than two decades, taking it from a venture-backed government contractor to a profitable company with $4.475 billion of 2025 revenue.
Source - Shyam Sankar2006–present
Chief Technology Officer and EVP
One of Palantir's longest-serving executives and a public advocate for defense procurement reform.
Source - David Glazer2019–present
Chief Financial Officer
Oversees financial reporting and guidance.
Source
Scale AI
- Alexandr Wang2016–2025
Co-Founder, former CEO and Chairman
Co-founded Scale and ran it until June 2025, when he joined Meta; remains chairman of the board.
Source - Jason Droege2025–2026
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Former chief strategy officer and Uber Eats founder who led Scale through the post-Meta-deal restructuring.
Source - Francis deSouza2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Former Illumina CEO and Google Cloud COO, appointed CEO effective August 10, 2026 to grow the applications business.
Source
Timeline: Palantir and Scale AI side by side
2003Palantir
Palantir founded
Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, Stephen Cohen, Joe Lonsdale and Nathan Gettings founded Palantir in Palo Alto to build data-fusion software for counterterrorism.
2005Palantir
In-Q-Tel investment
In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture arm, invested about $2 million, giving Palantir early access to intelligence-community users.
2016Palantir
Court win against the U.S. Army
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled that the Army had to consider commercial products such as Palantir's in its DCGS-A procurement. The Federal Circuit upheld the ruling in 2018.
2016Scale AI
Scale AI founded
Alexandr Wang and Lucy Guo founded Scale in Y Combinator's S16 batch.
2018Scale AI
Lucy Guo departs
Co-founder Lucy Guo left the company.
2019Scale AI
Series C and unicorn status
Founders Fund led a $100 million round valuing Scale above $1 billion.
2020Palantir
Direct listing and move to Denver
Palantir moved its headquarters to Denver and listed directly on the NYSE on September 30, 2020, under the ticker PLTR.
2021Scale AI
Series E at $7.3 billion
Scale raised $325 million at a $7.3 billion valuation.
2023Palantir
AIP launched
Palantir launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform and posted its first full year of GAAP profit, $209.8 million.
2024Palantir
S&P 500 entry and Nasdaq switch
Palantir joined the S&P 500 on September 23, 2024, and moved its stock listing from the NYSE to Nasdaq in November 2024.
2024Scale AI
Series F at $13.8 billion
Accel led a $1 billion round with Nvidia, Amazon and Meta participating.
2025Palantir
$4.475 billion in revenue
FY2025 revenue rose 56% to $4.475 billion, and net income reached $1.625 billion.
2025Scale AI
Meta invests $14.3 billion
Meta took 49% at a valuation above $29 billion; Wang joined Meta and Jason Droege became interim CEO.
2025Scale AI
Layoffs
Scale cut 200 full-time staff and 500 contractors in July.
2026Palantir
Headquarters moves to Miami area
Effective February 17, 2026, Palantir's principal executive office became 19505 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura, Florida.
2026Palantir
Q2 revenue up 93%
Q2 2026 revenue reached $1.935 billion, and Palantir raised its full-year guidance to $8.150-$8.158 billion.
2026Scale AI
Francis deSouza becomes CEO
The former Illumina chief took over on August 10, 2026.
Acquisitions
Scale AI
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Palantir vs Scale AI
Who is the CEO of Palantir Technologies Inc. and Scale AI, Inc.?
Palantir Technologies Inc. is led by Alexander C. Karp and Scale AI, Inc. is led by Francis deSouza. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Palantir Technologies Inc. founded vs Scale AI, Inc.?
Palantir Technologies Inc. was founded in 2003 — 13 years before Scale AI, Inc., which was founded in 2016. Palantir Technologies Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Scale AI, Inc..
How many employees does Palantir Technologies Inc. have compared to Scale AI, Inc.?
Palantir Technologies Inc. employs approximately 4,429 people, while Scale AI, Inc. employs approximately 1,200. Palantir Technologies Inc. has the larger workforce at 4,429 employees, compared to Scale AI, Inc.'s 1,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Palantir Technologies Inc. and Scale AI, Inc. headquartered?
Both Palantir Technologies Inc. and Scale AI, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Palantir Technologies Inc. and Scale AI, Inc.?
Palantir Technologies Inc. was founded by Peter Thiel, Alexander Karp, Joe Lonsdale, Stephen Cohen, Nathan Gettings. Scale AI, Inc. was founded by Alexandr Wang, Lucy Guo.
Which company has a longer operating history — Palantir Technologies Inc. or Scale AI, Inc.?
Palantir Technologies Inc. has been operating for approximately 23 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Scale AI, Inc. has been in operation for around 10 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Palantir vs Scale AI overview