If you thought 2025 was weird before breakfast, wait till you hear this: **Alex Karp, the philosopher-CEO of Palantir, fighter of inscrutable data, and undefeated champion of cross-country skiing vigils, just bought a former Trappist monastery outside Aspen for $120 million.
Yes. A real, honest-to-goodness monastery, the kind once home to brothers committed to silence, prayer, and probably the best alpaca-farming meditation you’ve ever imagined. This 3,700 acre slice of snowy paradise in Snowmass, Colorado (about 30 minutes from Aspen) was home to Trappist monks for nearly 70 years before Karp scooped it up in what’s now the most expensive residential deal in Pitkin County history.
What’s In the Deal?
Think Lord of the Rings meets Skiing With the Stars: Billionaire Edition.
The estate includes:
A 24,000-square-foot main monastery originally built in the 1950s
A 6,000-square-foot retreat center was added later.
Vintage cabins and early-1900s homes.
Creeks, views of Mt. Sopris, and all the untouched Rocky Mountain heaven you could ask for.
Rumor has it the monks once raised hens, sold eggs, and led silent retreats here. Now? Word is that Karp plans to use it as a private residence, presumably with a deep-dish philosophy library, a cross-country ski track, and maybe a meditation cave for when the Wi-Fi goes out.
Is This a Trend or a Tech Tyrant Turf War?
Not at all. If anything, it’s classic ultra-high-net-worth behavior: when the tech and AI winners make money, they buy land, and not just a beachfront condo or a hedge-trimmed vineyard.
That’s the vibe our own Broker, Jason Born, sees playing out at the top of the market:
“Whether it’s Larry Ellison owning whole islands, Mark Zuckerberg turning up in Maui, or Palantir’s Alex Karp buying a monastery, the smartest winners in tech and AI always circle back to real estate. It’s not just investment, it’s legacy, it’s roots, and honestly, it’s the best way to make sure your friends can actually find you for the holidays.” - Jason Born, Broker, Born Real Estate.
This isn’t new. Giants of tech and innovation have been snapping up enviable properties forever: think mega-ranches, private islands, and ski compounds that make most Zillow searches weep. But Karp’s monastery takes the crown for “Most Poetically Grandiose Use of Real Estate as Personal Narrative.”
After all, how many CEOs can claim that their home was once a place of monastic silence? Alex has always been a little different, but we like him for that!
So What’s Next for Real Estate?
If this year has taught us anything, it’s that luxury real estate keeps getting weirder, wilder, and somehow more aspirational:
Ultra-privacy and outdoor space are non-negotiables.
Unique historical character beats cookie-cutter glass mansions.
Record prices aren’t just a headline, they’re a new normal
And for the rest of us? Let’s just say whether you’re buying your first condo or your tenth estate, story matters. If your home has character, or can spawn folklore, you’re doing it right.
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