Billionaire recalls kind landlord sheltering his poor mom. So now, he's giving back to him tenfold

They say honor the hands that helped you rise, and there's nobody better than the Palantir CEO, Alex Karp, to embody the profundity of it. The world today recognizes him as a billionaire worth $17 billion, but not everyone knows that he didn't come from riches; in fact, he is a textbook example of a rags-to-riches success story. Of course, Karp fought his way out of poverty to build the life he has now, but it wouldn't have been possible without the Jewish landlord who helped him and his mom during rough times. In a podcast with Axios (@axios), the billionaire got emotional while opening up about the kind landlord who sheltered his family and saved them from homelessness. The video was aired on YouTube on November 7.

Karp grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and his early life was defined by dire poverty and significant hardships. When Mike Allen, Axios co-founder, asked the billionaire to recount how the Jewish woman helped his family, he turned too emotional. "My mother was totally f****d," Karp said, suppressing his tears. He continued, "Someone helped her; I paid them back!" By now, the giant entrepreneur was almost in tears; in fact, you could hear a lump in his throat, expressing the lasting impact the landlord had on him and his family. Notably, the kind landlord had a jewelry store back then, and they still own that business. When Allen asked how Karp paid back their kindness, he said, "I just buy a lot of stuff from them." Karp also mentioned why it's important to acknowledge people who help during their bad times. He said, "In general, people don't help you, which is totally okay, but the ones that do are special." Karp mentioned his book, "The Philosopher in the Valley," also narrates the story of the Jewish landlord and how it shaped his life. The book, written by Michael Steinberger, an acclaimed journalist, was published on November 4. 

Every successful person has a story to tell. While their hard work, determination, and perseverance are widely discussed, an important factor is often overshadowed — help from others. Even people who are extremely capable of solo riding their journey also rely on others to reach their goals. "Although it may seem like certain individuals have reached their career peaks in a solo fashion, there are always supporting characters," researcher Jeff Cain wrote in her editorial, "Reading the Story Behind Success." In Karp's story, that supporting character was the landlord whom he still honors. 

Meanwhile, reacting to Karp's confession, @fizzlepi314 commented, "This is the purest form of human love. You can hear emotion in his voice. We all know he came from absolutely nothing. Now, one can take anything away from him." Similarly, @samdemaio said, "When you come from nothing, you never forget the people who gave you a shot. Helping others is priceless." @burnsiebj commented, "He was the angel your mom needed, and you are a good man to give back to those who give without expectation. Thank you for sharing this."

@katiethebest14 wrote, "He's visibly shaking still after all these years. We don't forget our struggles and the ones who helped us along the way to be better, and taught us to help others, and to pass on a legacy of helping and love." @yazzyyasminetenise1 said, "The fact that he repaid that kindness with kindness — he had the class to show the people who helped him and his family along the way by showing his appreciation. I love it." @rolandwinsagain reminded, "Nobody helps you, and the very few that do, never forget them. Always have their back even if it’s a detriment to you. That's your purpose."

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