Mountain home near Aspen, built for monks, sold to Palantir CEO for $120M

4 months ago

Chuck McKenna, principal at Longfellow Elementary, expressed love to his students and teachers daily for nine years, inspired by his time at St. Benedict’s Monastery.
St. Benedict’s Monastery, a 3,700-acre property in Old Snowmass, sold for $120 million to billionaire Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir.
The monastery, built in the 1950s by Trappist monks, includes a main building, cemetery, creeks, and senior water rights in Roaring Fork Valley.
The property was listed for $150 million by Mirr Ranch Group after the abbey decided to close in 2022.
St. Benedict’s Monastery has been one of the largest privately-owned properties in Pitkin County for seven decades, surrounded by protected lands.
A nonprofit group, 'Friends of the Monastery,' formed to conserve the monastery’s open spaces and support the monks.
About six monks currently live at the monastery, overseen by the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.
McKenna left the monastery in the early 1990s, maintained close ties, and often visited with his family, fostering deep discussions about life and death.
The monastery provided a unique space for McKenna and his daughters to explore profound questions, such as what happens after death.

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