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Palantir Technologies Inc. CEO Alex Karp warned that AI could become the biggest driver of wealth inequality in the U.S., saying that while the technology is likely to improve the standard of living for the average person, the biggest gains will only go to those leading the AI industry.
On an episode of Mathias Dopfner‘s “MD Meets” podcast on Monday, Karp called AI wealth inequality the “biggest problem in this country.” According to Karp, these individuals could become 10 to 100 times wealthier than they already are, widening the gap between the richest and everyone else.
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Karp said previous technological revolutions created a much smaller wealth gap, with average workers seeing significant income gains. At the same time, top earners became only a few times richer, making billionaires far less common than they are today.
“You now have a revolution where, you know, I could become 20 times wealthier than I am now,” he added. Karp said AI is creating a “complete decoupling” between ordinary economic gains and a small group of people accumulating “unimaginable wealth.”
The AI Future: Fear vs Optimism
Karp has previously been critical of the AI industry, making similar warnings about its impact. The Palantir CEO criticized frontier AI companies, saying many enterprise customers are becoming increasingly skeptical of their offerings.
He said companies want AI that delivers measurable business value rather than simply consuming more AI services or “tokens,” and added that rebuilding trust will be critical as enterprises grow frustrated with unmet AI promises.
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Echoing Karp, podcaster Joe Rogan warned that AI could eventually become so powerful that it is controlled by only a small group of people, giving them unprecedented influence over society. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, he said the race to build advanced AI resembles a modern-day Manhattan Project, with enormous consequences if one company or country gains a decisive lead.
On the other hand, Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang rejected dire predictions that AI will devastate white-collar jobs. He criticized industry leaders for making sweeping forecasts about mass job losses and societal collapse without sufficient evidence.
Huang, appearing to respond to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei‘s warnings, said such comments are unhelpful and cautioned that executives can develop a “god complex.”
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Photo courtesy: Poetra.RH / Shutterstock
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Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market
Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.
Arrived
Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.
Realberry
Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.
FarmTogether
Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.
Immersed
Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.
Fundrise
Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.
Mode Mobile
Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.
EquityMultiple
For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.
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