Shyam Sankar
Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President at PLTR
Executive
About Shyam Sankar
Shyam Sankar is Palantir’s Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President; he has served in various positions since 2006. He holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University and an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. As of April 11, 2025, he is 43 years old. Company performance during his senior leadership tenure included 41% year-over-year revenue growth in 2021 and 24% in 2022, with a 2023 total shareholder return of ~$180.74 (value of $100 initial investment) and GAAP net income of $209.8 million.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | Chief Operating Officer & EVP | Through Jan 2023 | Oversaw operations through periods of strong revenue growth (41% in 2021; 24% in 2022) and the first GAAP-profitable quarter in Q4 2022. |
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | Chief Technology Officer & EVP | Jan 2023–present | Leads technology strategy; executive equity awards vesting began Aug 20, 2021 with quarterly schedules tied to the 2020 executive equity framework. |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary ($) | 509,819 | 509,419 | 509,419 | 509,419 | 509,419 |
| Bonus ($) | 44,672 | — | — | — | — |
| Stock Awards ($) | 57,000,000 | — | — | — | — |
| Option Awards ($) | 45,010,811 | — | — | — | — |
| All Other Compensation ($) | 83,488 | 189,268 | 137,453 | 122,761 | 297,629 |
| Total ($) | 102,648,790 | 698,687 | 646,872 | 632,180 | 807,048 |
- 2023 All Other Compensation for Sankar included personal tax services ($114,306) and additional umbrella liability insurance coverage ($8,455); no tax gross-ups were paid to him in 2023.
Performance Compensation
Executive Equity Awards (August 2020 framework)
| Award Type | Applicable Plan | Shares Covered | Strike Price | Expiration | Vesting | Performance Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Option (Class B) | Executive Equity Plan | 7,500,000 | $11.38 | Aug 20, 2032 | 5% vested on Aug 20, 2021 and 5% quarterly thereafter (service-based) | Satisfied upon direct listing (Sept 2020) and continued service through immediately prior to that date |
| Executive RSU Award | 2010 Plan | 7,500,000 | N/A | N/A | 5% vested on Aug 20, 2021 and 5% quarterly thereafter (service-based) | Satisfied upon direct listing (Sept 2020) and continued service through immediately prior to that date |
Option Exchange (June 2020)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shares impacted | Two options covering 5,535,000 Class B shares were exchanged for new options |
| New exercise price | $4.72 per share |
| Expiration | June 3, 2030 |
| Vesting change | One-year new vesting applied to shares already vested; otherwise unchanged |
Vesting/Exercise Activity (Supply Dynamics)
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Options exercised (#) | 3,397,712 | 5,787,288 |
| Value realized on option exercise ($) | 50,447,856 | 319,066,531 |
| RSU shares vested (#) | 2,341,320 | 1,500,000 |
| Value realized on RSU vesting ($) | 32,661,414 | 53,130,000 |
RSU vestings may include automatic sale of a portion of shares to cover withholding taxes at each vesting date.
Change-in-Control Terms
- Sankar’s Executive Option and Executive RSU Award accelerate 40% immediately prior to a change in control, per the award terms; other RSUs under the 2010 Plan accelerate by 25% (or remaining unvested) upon change in control.
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial Ownership (snapshot dates)
| Shares | Apr 12, 2023 | Apr 11, 2024 | Apr 11, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A common stock (shares) | 2,030,463 | 1,502,685 | 1,452,685 |
| Class B common stock (shares) | 8,391,578 | 6,945,744 | 3,474,398 |
| Percentage of votes (record date outstanding shares) | * | * | * |
2022 footnote detail (ownership components within 60 days): 5,535,000 Class B options exercisable; 210,330 Class A RSUs and 375,000 Class B RSUs scheduled to settle within 60 days.
- No pledging disclosures are listed for Sankar in the proxies; a pledged line of credit disclosure appears for Alexander Moore (not Sankar).
Employment Terms
Potential Payments Upon Change in Control (assumed on fiscal year-end date)
| Component | 2023 (Dec 29, price $17.17) | 2024 (Dec 31, price $75.63) | 2025 (Dec 31, price $75.63 assumption in table) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted Stock Units ($) | 51,510,000 | 170,167,500 | 170,167,500 (presented in 2025 table for CIC scenario) |
| Stock Options ($) | 17,370,000 | 144,562,500 | 144,562,500 (presented in 2025 table for CIC scenario) |
| Total ($) | 68,880,000 | 314,730,000 | 314,730,000 |
- CIC tables reflect equity acceleration values only; no cash salary/bonus multiples are disclosed for Sankar.
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Large executive equity awards vesting quarterly since Aug 2021 (5% per quarter) tie continued service to value realization; performance condition already satisfied at direct listing. This structure aligns retention with ongoing vesting rather than annual cash incentives.
- Supply/insider selling pressure: Significant option exercises and RSU vesting in 2023–2024 ($369.5M combined realized value) indicate regular monetization cadence; automatic RSU sell-to-cover adds predictable supply at vesting dates. Monitor Form 4 activity to track ongoing selling pressure.
- Change-in-control leverage: A 40% acceleration on executive awards (and 25% for 2010 Plan RSUs) creates substantial equity value in potential M&A scenarios; CIC values for Sankar rose from ~$69M (2023) to ~$315M (2024) with stock appreciation, magnifying sensitivity to share price.
- Cash pay discipline: No discretionary bonuses disclosed post-2020; total compensation in 2023–2024 remained predominantly salary plus perquisites, with value driven by equity vesting and exercises rather than new grants—reducing pay inflation risk but keeping equity-derived incentives prominent.
- Governance/pledging: No pledging by Sankar disclosed; founder voting structure centralizes governance but does not directly affect his equity alignment; focus remains on vesting schedule and exercise behavior.