Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel
Born	Peter Andreas Thiel (1967-10-11) October 11, 1967 Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, West Germany
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, political figure
Years active	1996–present
Known for	Co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, Founders Fund; early investor in Facebook

Peter Andreas Thiel (; born October 11, 1967) is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political figure. He co-founded PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, and was the earliest external investor in Facebook. As reported by Forbes in May 2025, Thiel's net worth was estimated at US$20.8 billion, placing him as the 103rd wealthiest person worldwide.

Originally born in Germany and raised in Swakopmund, located in South West Africa, Thiel relocated to the United States at the age of 10. After completing his education at Stanford University, he held various positions including clerkship for Judge James Larry Edmondson, securities attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell, speechwriter for former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett, and derivatives trader at Credit Suisse. In 1996, he established Thiel Capital Management and, two years later, co-founded PayPal alongside Max Levchin and Luke Nosek, acting as CEO until its acquisition by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion.

Following PayPal's sale, Thiel launched Clarium Capital, a global macro hedge fund based in San Francisco. In 2003, he founded Palantir Technologies, a company focused on big data analytics, and has served as its chairman since the beginning. In 2005, together with former PayPal colleagues Ken Howery and Luke Nosek, he co-founded Founders Fund. Thiel became Facebook's first outside investor in August 2004 by purchasing a 10.2% stake for $500,000; he divested most of his shares for over $1 billion by 2012 and resigned from its board in 2022. Additionally, he co-established Valar Ventures in 2010 and Mithril Capital in 2012—where he chaired the investment committee—and was a part-time partner at Y Combinator between 2015 and 2017.

A proponent of conservative libertarianism, Thiel has contributed substantially to right-wing political causes in the United States. His acquisition of New Zealand citizenship in 2011 sparked controversy due to government intervention despite his spending only twelve non-consecutive days there, well below standard residency requirements.

Through the Thiel Foundation, he manages grant programs such as Breakout Labs and the Thiel Fellowship. In 2016, Thiel publicly acknowledged financing Hulk Hogan’s legal action against Gawker, which had previously revealed his sexual orientation without consent. This lawsuit ultimately resulted in Gawker’s bankruptcy and severe financial repercussions for its founder, Nick Denton.

Early life and education

Peter Thiel was born on October 11, 1967, in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, then part of West Germany, to Klaus Friedrich Thiel and Susanne Thiel. When Peter was one year old, the family emigrated to the United States, settling in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father worked as a chemical engineer within various mining industries. This led to a nomadic childhood for Peter and his younger brother Patrick Michael Thiel. While Peter and his mother later became naturalized U.S. citizens, his father did not.

Prior to establishing roots in Foster City, California in 1977, the family resided in both South Africa and South West Africa (now known as Namibia) during the apartheid era. Throughout his early schooling years, Thiel attended seven different elementary schools and studied at a German-language institution in Swakopmund noted for its strict disciplinary environment. These formative experiences influenced his later advocacy for individualism and libertarian ideals. The local German community maintained a reputation for lingering admiration of Nazism.

Thiel developed an early passion for science fiction literature by authors such as Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein, along with an enthusiasm for the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, having read The Lord of the Rings more than ten times. He named six companies he founded—including Palantir Technologies, Valar Ventures, Mithril Capital, Lembas LLC, Rivendell LLC, and Arda Capital—after Tolkien-inspired concepts.

Demonstrating strong aptitude in mathematics during his time at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City, Thiel won a statewide math contest in California. While attending San Mateo High School, he engaged with Ayn Rand’s philosophy and admired President Ronald Reagan’s optimistic vision coupled with anti-communist policies; he graduated as valedictorian in 1985.

At Stanford University, Thiel majored in philosophy and co-established The Stanford Review, a conservative-libertarian newspaper founded in 1987 as a response to curricular emphasis on diversity and multiculturalism. He served as its inaugural editor-in-chief until earning his degree in 1989 and has continued to support the publication through funding and professional connections.

Thiel obtained his juris doctor degree from Stanford Law School in 1992. During this period, he was influenced by René Girard’s mimetic theory—a concept that inspired him to create the Imitatio initiative under the auspices of the Thiel Foundation to advance related research and educational efforts. He has expressed aspirations that Girard will emerge as a leading intellectual figure of the twenty-first century.

Early career

Following his graduation from Stanford Law School, Thiel served as a clerk for Judge James Larry Edmondson at the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. He briefly practiced securities law at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York but departed within a year. In 1993, he transitioned to working as a derivatives trader specializing in currency options at Credit Suisse, simultaneously contributing as a speechwriter for former United States Secretary of Education William Bennett. Thiel made his way back to California in 1996.

Upon returning to the Bay Area, Thiel capitalized on the dot-com boom by securing $1 million from friends and family to found Thiel Capital Management, marking the start of his venture capital endeavors. After an initial loss of $100,000 investing in a web-based calendar startup by his friend Luke Nosek, Thiel was introduced to Nosek's colleague Max Levchin, who proposed a cryptography-focused company. This collaboration resulted in their first enterprise, Fieldlink (which was later renamed Confinity) in 1998.

PayPal

Through Confinity, Thiel recognized an opportunity to create software that addressed gaps in online payment systems. Despite the growing acceptance of credit cards and ATM networks, many merchants lacked the necessary hardware to process card payments, compelling customers to rely on exact cash or checks. Thiel envisioned a digital wallet that would improve ease of use and security via data encryption. This vision materialized with the launch of PayPal in 1999.

PayPal sought to transform financial transactions by providing a more user-friendly and secure alternative to cash, accessible through Internet-enabled devices. Thiel highlighted its potential to empower users globally, particularly in developing nations grappling with inflation and currency instability, by offering direct access to stable currencies such as the U.S. dollar.

At its inception, PayPal secured $3 million in venture capital from Nokia and Deutsche Bank through PalmPilot transactions. Growth accelerated throughout 2000 due to mergers with Elon Musk’s X.com and mobile commerce company Pixo, broadening PayPal’s reach into wireless markets and facilitating safer email-based money transfers without exposing bank information. PayPal went public on 15 February 2002 and was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in October that year. Thiel remained as CEO until the acquisition, with his 3.7% ownership stake valued at $55 million. He is often referred to as the "Don of the PayPal Mafia" within Silicon Valley.

Clarium Capital

Thiel allocated $10 million to launch Clarium Capital Management, a global macro hedge fund concentrating on directional trades across liquid assets including currencies, interest rates, commodities, and equities. The fund’s primary strategy was based on peak oil theory, anticipating diminishing oil supplies without straightforward alternatives.

In 2003, Clarium correctly predicted a depreciation of the US dollar. By 2005, it yielded a 57.1% return as Thiel anticipated a dollar rebound. However, the fund experienced a 7.8% loss in 2006 before refocusing efforts on long-term petrodollar trends influenced by concerns over oil availability.

After generating a 40.3% return in 2007, assets under management expanded beyond $7 billion by early 2008 but suffered significant declines during the financial crisis of 2008–2009. By 2011, following missed market recoveries and withdrawals from major investors, Clarium’s assets shrank to $350 million—with two-thirds representing Thiel’s own investment.

Palantir

Peter Thiel established Palantir Technologies in May 2003, a company specializing in big data analytics named after the visionary stones from Tolkien's lore. As of 2022, he continues to serve as its chairman. The creation of Palantir was inspired by the realization that the fraud detection techniques developed at PayPal could be adapted for broader applications such as counterterrorism efforts. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Thiel articulated Palantir’s objective as providing government intelligence agencies with data mining solutions that strike a careful balance between enhancing security and respecting privacy, ensuring these tools remain both minimally invasive and fully auditable.

According to analysts Geoff Shullenberger and Moira Weigel, Thiel and CEO Alex Karp shaped Palantir’s philosophy drawing on their interpretations of Leo Strauss’s ideas and the Frankfurt School’s critical theory.

Facebook

In August 2004, Thiel made an initial angel investment of $500,000 in Facebook, acquiring a 10.2% ownership stake and joining its board of directors. This first external funding round valued Facebook at approximately $4.9 million. While Thiel did not engage in daily management, he played a key advisory role during subsequent financing rounds. Mark Zuckerberg credited him with strategically timing Facebook’s 2007 Series D funding just prior to the 2008 financial crisis.

David Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect notes that Thiel’s investment originated from a recommendation by Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s CEO, who declined to invest himself due to potential conflicts of interest. After meeting Zuckerberg, Thiel agreed to lead the seed round with $500,000 in exchange for 10.2%, initially structured as a convertible note contingent on user growth milestones. Although these targets were narrowly missed, Thiel converted his loan into equity, deeming both the valuation fair and the investment secure.

By September 2010, Thiel observed that Facebook’s valuation on secondary markets hovered near $30 billion, which he considered undervalued relative to comparable companies. When Facebook went public in May 2012, its market capitalization approached $100 billion at $38 per share. During this period, Thiel sold 16.8 million shares for $638 million and proceeded to divest most of his remaining shares after the lock-up expiration, ultimately generating over $1 billion while maintaining a board position. Further share sales in 2016 and 2017 reduced his holdings below 60,000 shares; by April 2020, his ownership had declined to fewer than 10,000 shares.

On February 7, 2022, after serving on Meta’s board (Facebook’s parent company) for 17 years, Thiel announced he would not seek re-election. He cited a desire to concentrate on supporting pro–Donald Trump candidates during the 2022 United States elections as his primary motivation.

Founders Fund

Peter Thiel launched Founders Fund in 2005, a venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco. Its founding partners include Sean Parker, Ken Howery, and Luke Nosek. Initially emphasizing investments in defense-related ventures and advanced technologies, the fund shifted focus following early successes like Facebook to back companies aiming to drive significant societal progress.

The Economist has recognized Founders Fund for fostering startups with national security implications such as Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and General Matter—a nuclear technology firm developing the first privately operated uranium enrichment facility in Paducah. Thiel holds a board position at General Matter.

Within Thiel’s close network, Founders Fund is colloquially dubbed "the Precious," an allusion to Tolkien’s One Ring that reflects his well-known appreciation for Tolkien’s mythology.

Thiel has made early-stage investments through Founders Fund or independently in numerous high-profile startups including Airbnb, LinkedIn, Friendster, Spotify, SpaceX, Stripe, Block.one, and Trade Republic. The fund also supported UK-based DeepMind prior to its acquisition by Google and continues to back Berlin-based ResearchGate.

In 2017, Founders Fund acquired between $15 million and $20 million worth of bitcoin; by early 2018 this investment had appreciated into the hundreds of millions due to cryptocurrency market gains. That same year, Thiel was among the initial investors in Clearview AI—a facial recognition company that attracted scrutiny over privacy issues.

In 2024, Founders Fund led an $85 million seed financing round for SentientAGI (Sentient Foundation), a UAE-based decentralized artificial intelligence platform designed to rival closed AI models from OpenAI and others while addressing risks associated with AI proliferation. The following year, the fund invested in Erebor—a digital banking startup founded by Palmer Luckey—which rapidly achieved a valuation of $2 billion.

Valar Ventures

Valar Ventures, an internationally oriented venture capital firm co-founded by Thiel alongside Andrew McCormack and James Fitzgerald, was an early backer of the New Zealand-based software company Xero. The firm also invested in other New Zealand enterprises such as Pacific Fibre and Booktrack.

Thiel Capital

Established in 2011 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Thiel Capital functions as Peter Thiel’s family office, delivering strategic guidance and operational assistance across his portfolio. This entity played a key role in launching and nurturing ventures including Founders Fund, Mithril, Valar, the Thiel Fellowship, Breakout Labs, and is a sponsor of Crescendo Equity Partners.

Among its prominent investments are Alloy Therapeutics (in partnership with Founders Fund and 8VC), EnClear Therapies, the German unicorn ATAI Life Sciences—founded by biotech magnate Christian Angermayer—Compass Pathways, Pilgrim (created by Thiel Fellow Jake Adler), Hugoboom, Rhea, Bullish Global (also backed by Founders Fund and Angermayer), FTX, QA Wolf, Rollup (a hardware development platform), and Neros, a military drone startup initiated by Thiel Fellow Soren Monroe-Anderson. Additionally, Thiel Capital is a significant investor in Mynaric, a German laser communications startup with dual-use technology also supported by Angermayer.

Former notable employees include ex-Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, American entrepreneur and politician Blake Masters, Kevin Harrington (Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the United States National Security Council), and Michael Kratsios.

Quantum Systems

Thiel Capital’s stakes in drone companies Quantum Systems, based in Gilching, and the Berlin-based combat drone firm Stark have sparked debate owing to Thiel’s political positions. In May 2025, Quantum Systems achieved the milestone of becoming Europe’s first dual-use unicorn and the continent’s third defense-related unicorn after Bavarian startup Helsing and Portuguese company Tekever. Although Thiel does not directly invest in Helsing, it is regarded as part of the "Thiel ecosystem," highlighting his indirect impact on its achievements.

Mithril Capital

Mithril Capital Management was launched in June 2012 by Peter Thiel together with Jim O’Neill and Ajay Royan. With $402 million under management, Mithril targets companies that have moved beyond early-stage startups and are poised for significant growth. Unlike Thiel’s earlier fund Clarium Capital, Mithril emphasizes late-stage investments focused on scaling operations.

1517 Fund

Founded in 2015 by Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson—both original members of the Thiel Fellowship team—the 1517 Fund offers financial grants and investments aimed at supporting "dropouts, renegade students, and deep tech scientists." Backed by Peter Thiel, its investment portfolio includes Luminar Technologies, Loom, Inc., Atom Computing, and Durin Mining Technologies.

America's Frontier Fund

Co-founded by Peter Thiel alongside Eric Schmidt, America's Frontier Fund concentrates on revitalizing manufacturing within the United States, with a particular emphasis on semiconductor production. The fund operates independently or with government collaboration and benefits from bipartisan leadership featuring Ashton B. Carter and H.R. McMaster. Gilman Louie serves as its CEO.

Rivada Space Networks

Originating from the Bavarian startup Kleo-Connect, Rivada Space Networks was founded in 2022 with the goal of advancing satellite technologies tailored for governmental and military applications. The enterprise secured investment and advisory support from notable figures including Karl Rove, Mike Pompeo, Richard Myers, Jeb Bush, James Loy, Lord Guthrie, and Martin O’Malley. The US Department of Defense is also among its investors. Although the company has faced legal obstacles and postponed its satellite launch, initially scheduled for 2027, by 2025 Rivada had expanded operations to 33 countries and raised $16 billion in funding. Peter Thiel plays a pivotal role in supporting both the company’s growth and its legal strategies, utilizing his leverage during investor negotiations.

SNÖ Ventures

In 2021, Thiel became an investor and strategic partner at Oslo-based SNÖ Ventures, contributing a network of international advisors. The firm inaugurated a $100 million Nordic venture capital fund, extending its reach into Sweden and Denmark. By 2024, SNÖ made its inaugural defense technology investment in Nordic Air Defence, a Swedish startup specializing in counter-drone missile systems staffed by veterans from Palantir and Quantum Systems. This investment underscores Sweden’s strengthening transatlantic defense relationships, which are also reflected in Daniel Ek’s Prima Materia backing of Helsing—a strategic Palantir collaborator—prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Elevat3

Thiel assumed the role of strategic partner and lead investor in Elevat3 in 2020. Founded by Christian Angermayer’s Apeiron Investment Group to support startups within German-speaking regions, Elevat3 focuses on sectors such as life sciences, deep technology, fintech, real estate, and insurance while collaborating with Founders Fund. Through this partnership, Thiel has invested in Neodigital based in Neunkirchen and provides backing to other European ventures like London’s Olsam. In 2022, Elevat3 and Founders Fund, operating through Apeiron Group, purchased equity stakes from Fosun International and others to invest in Hamburg’s NAGA Group. Additionally, Thiel holds shares in Heidelberger Beteiligungsholding—soon to be rebranded as SQD.AI Strategies AG—recognized as Germany’s first dedicated cryptocurrency holding treasury.

Crescendo Equity Partners

Crescendo Equity Partners is a Seoul-headquartered private equity firm concentrating on mid-sized manufacturing and technology enterprises across Asia. Founded in 2012 with Peter Thiel’s sponsorship, the fund was co-established by Thiel alongside Matt Danzeisen (investment committee member), Andy Lee (chairman), Matt Price (CEO), and Slava Zhakov (CTO). Anand Chandrasekaran serves as president. General Catalyst significantly contributes to Crescendo’s financing and organizational structure.

Among Crescendo’s investments is Line Next—a collaborative venture between Softbank and Naver—which played a key role in transforming Korea’s HPSP into a global leader in semiconductor equipment manufacturing. In 2025, Crescendo began marketing its 40.9% controlling interest in HPSP, attracting acquisition interest from leading global private equity firms including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), Carlyle Group, and Blackstone.

The firm further supports prominent entities within Korea’s semiconductor sector such as Hanmi Semiconductor, Samyang NCchem, and Movensys (previously Soft Servo Group), which adopted its current name following Crescendo’s investment. Additionally, Crescendo holds stakes in metal equipment manufacturers including Seojin System and Model Solution.

Additional Business Ventures

By 2020, Thiel had placed investments in funds overseen by 8VC and the financial institution Disruptive Technology Advisers. He also held a limited partnership role at Social Capital and provided backing to venture initiatives such as Sam Altman's Hydrazine Capital and J.D. Vance's Narya fund. Moreover, Thiel extends support to Doepfner Capital, the venture fund managed by Moritz Döpfner, son of Mathias Döpfner.

The Founders Fund, which Thiel helped establish, contributed to Indonesia-centric Intudo Ventures’ second fundraising round, reinforcing its strategic objectives, and also supports Mensch Capital based in Israel. Via Valar, Thiel invests in Singapore’s Syfe Group venture firm. Founders Fund’s 2014 investment in Privateer Holdings, headquartered in Seattle, marked its pioneering role as "the first institutional investor in the cannabis sector."

Thiel is a prominent backer of Vivek Ramaswamy’s Strive Asset Management, an activist investment firm that challenges ESG mandates championed by BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street. The fund attributes these mandates to exacerbating the energy crisis while maintaining acknowledgment of climate science.

In addition, Thiel supports Tacora, a venture debt company founded by his longtime collaborator Keri Findley. Tacora’s initial 2022 fund secured $350 million in capital, with an unusually large $250 million contribution from Thiel himself. Specifics regarding his participation in Tacora’s 2025 fund have not been publicly revealed.

Thiel Bio

Established in 2023 by Jason Camm (Chief Medical Officer at Thiel Capital), Thiel Bio is a venture capital entity managing a $100 million fund sourced from an undisclosed backer. The degree of Peter Thiel’s direct involvement remains ambiguous aside from the firm's use of his name. Investments include biotech startups Ataraxis AI and EnClear Therapies, with collaborative ties to Founders Fund.

Y Combinator

Peter Thiel joined Y Combinator as a part-time partner in March 2015 but ceased his affiliation with the accelerator program by November 2017.

Enhanced Games

In 2024, Thiel invested in the Enhanced Games, a proposed multi-sport competition that permits athletes to utilize performance-enhancing substances without undergoing drug testing, positioning itself as an alternative to conventional sporting events.

Gawker Litigation

In May 2016, Peter Thiel disclosed that he had funded $10 million toward legal fees for multiple lawsuits, including Terry Bollea’s (Hulk Hogan) privacy and emotional distress case against Gawker Media, following Gawker’s publication of excerpts from a sex tape involving Bollea. The jury awarded Bollea $140 million, resulting in Gawker’s permanent shutdown in August 2016. Thiel described this legal support as one of his “most significant philanthropic” endeavors.

His motivation stemmed from a 2007 Gawker article that publicly outed him under the headline "Peter Thiel is totally gay, people." He criticized Gawker for damaging lives without justification and framed his involvement as a deterrent rather than personal revenge. Addressing concerns about press freedom, Thiel highlighted his contributions to the Committee to Protect Journalists and argued that journalism should not entail gross invasions of privacy.

On August 15, 2016, Thiel authored an op-ed in The New York Times advocating for stronger online privacy protections beyond the Gawker case. He supported the Intimate Privacy Protection Act and stressed that public figures such as athletes and executives deserve privacy regarding their personal affairs.

Following the lawsuit loss, Gawker founder Nick Denton accused Thiel of orchestrating their downfall and warned that increased transparency could similarly impact him despite his philanthropic claims.

Political views

Thiel identifies himself as a conservative libertarian. Since the late 2010s, he has endorsed national conservatism and voiced criticism of economically liberal perspectives on free trade and big tech. He promotes a business strategy where companies avoid direct rivalry and public scrutiny by first securing monopoly positions within specialized markets, thereby ensuring prolonged profitability over years or even decades.

In 1995, Thiel, together with David O. Sacks, released The Diversity Myth, a critique targeting political correctness and multiculturalism within higher education institutions. The following year, they opposed affirmative action in the United States, arguing it disadvantaged those it intended to help and exacerbated segregation at Stanford University.

Thiel’s 2004 essay titled "The Straussian Moment" is fundamental to his political ideology, asserting that the September 11 attacks disrupted existing political paradigms and called for a thorough reevaluation of political thought. In a 2009 essay, he expressed doubts about the harmony between freedom and democracy, observing that the expansion of welfare programs and voting rights had transformed "capitalist democracy" into a contradiction in terms, although he did not support restricting voting rights.

His work has had an impact on intellectuals within the neo-reactionary movement. By 2015, Thiel observed that innovation was predominantly concentrated in computing and information technology rather than in physical sectors such as space exploration or medical technology, attributing this disparity to regulatory distinctions between digital "bits" and physical "atoms."

Thiel holds a position on the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group, an exclusive annual meeting involving prominent thinkers, political figures, and corporate leaders.

On international relations

The Hill & Valley Forum, supported by Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures, is described by the Wall Street Journal as an anti-China coalition bridging Silicon Valley with Capitol Hill. According to China Daily, Thiel, alongside figures like Palmer Luckey and Jacob Helberg, are considered tech hawks shaping US policy toward China. China’s official news outlet Xinhua News Agency categorizes Palantir and executives such as Thiel and Vice President Wendy R. Anderson, along with firms like Anduril and Saronic Technologies, as components of "the new military industrial complex," posing unpredictable threats to both the United States and the international community.

In 2019, Thiel labeled Google as "seemingly treasonous" and called for governmental investigation into its collaborations with China and potential infiltration by foreign intelligence services. The Chinese state newspaper Global Times portrays Thiel as part of an anti-China elite whose pressure on American tech companies could ultimately damage US interests.

By 2025, Thiel advocated for a significant overhaul of US-China economic ties with a focus on geopolitical realities. He cautioned against simplistic portrayals of China’s power, highlighting contradictory signals coming from Chinese leadership.

In 2024, Palantir established itself as a strategic military technology partner with Israel, marked by visits from both Thiel and CEO Alex Karp. Thiel openly endorsed US-Israel cooperation aimed at deterring Iran’s nuclear ambitions, referencing historical conflicts in the region triggered by nuclear proliferation. Iranian state media accused Thiel and his associates of pursuing domestic enrichment while exerting aggressive influence abroad, emphasizing his support for pro-Israel technological ventures via Thiel Capital.

Regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Thiel suggested that NATO’s expansion might have been misguided but maintained that a US withdrawal from Ukraine would carry significant strategic repercussions.

Political activism

Thiel, who identifies as gay, has predominantly supported conservative causes related to LGBTQ+ rights, including groups like the American Foundation for Equal Rights and GOProud. He invited conservative commentator and friend Ann Coulter to speak at Homocon 2010; Coulter later dedicated her 2011 book, Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America, to him. In 2012, Thiel contributed $10,000 to Minnesotans United for All Families to help oppose Minnesota Amendment 1, which aimed to prohibit same-sex marriage.

In 2009, Thiel provided financial backing for James O'Keefe, a college student who produced the satirical "Taxpayers Clearing House" video criticizing the Wall Street bailout. While O'Keefe subsequently created undercover videos targeting ACORN, Thiel denied involvement in those operations.

By July 2012, Thiel became the largest donor to the fiscally conservative Club for Growth with a $1 million contribution. This organization primarily advocates for tax reductions and economic policy reforms.

The Thiel Foundation supports press freedom through donations exceeding $1 million since 2008 to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Additionally, it funds the Human Rights Foundation, which organizes the Oslo Freedom Forum—a platform where Thiel spoke in 2011 and which his foundation helps sponsor.

Thiel is a significant supporter of the conservative Rockbridge Network, now expanded internationally with branches in Asia. He also backs the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, established by Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

According to Business Insider, Thiel acted as an FBI informant in 2021.

Support for political candidates

As a Republican Party member, Thiel has backed both Libertarian and Republican political figures. In December 2007, he endorsed Ron Paul during the 2008 United States presidential election. After Paul did not win the nomination, Thiel shifted his support to John McCain's campaign.

In 2010, Thiel gave the maximum allowable contribution of $25,900 to Republican Meg Whitman during her unsuccessful run for governor of California.

In 2012, together with Nosek and Scott Banister, Thiel funded the Endorse Liberty Super PAC with $3.9 million to promote Ron Paul through digital advertising and online outreach. Following Paul's failure to secure the nomination again, Thiel supported the Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan ticket.

During the 2016 Republican primaries, Thiel initially backed Carly Fiorina before endorsing Donald Trump. He served as a California delegate and delivered a keynote speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where he openly expressed pride in being gay. On October 15, 2016, he donated $1.25 million to Trump's campaign. After Trump's election victory, Thiel joined the executive committee of Trump's transition team. In July 2018, he contributed $250,000 to the Trump Victory Committee, supporting both the Republican National Committee's efforts in the 2018 midterms and Trump's 2020 re-election bid.

By February 2022, Thiel ranked among the top donors to Republican candidates in that election cycle with over $20.4 million given. His support extended to sixteen senatorial and congressional hopefuls, including tech investors Blake Masters—who was unsuccessful—and later U.S. Vice President JD Vance, both of whom have connections with Thiel.

In a 2023 interview with Barton Gellman of The Atlantic, Thiel revealed he had "lost interest in democracy" and planned not to financially back any candidates—including Trump—in forthcoming elections due to disagreements with the Republican Party's cultural priorities. He also characterized Trump's first term as falling short of his modest expectations and later described Trump as a "clown turned martyr" due to subsequent legal challenges. In a 2025 conversation with Ross Douthat, Thiel observed that although Trump and populists disrupted traditional politics—facilitating deregulation efforts such as in nuclear energy—disruption did not necessarily equate to genuine progress.

Thiel manages his own political-action committee called Free Forever, which supports candidates advocating for stronger border enforcement, restrictive immigration policies, increased veterans’ funding, and a non-interventionist foreign policy stance. According to OpenSecrets, Free Forever was most active during the 2020 election cycle by backing Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach’s unsuccessful Senate campaign; nearly all contributions came directly from Thiel himself.

Philanthropy

Thiel channels the majority of his charitable initiatives through the Thiel Foundation.

Artificial intelligence

In 2006, Thiel donated $100,000 in matching funds to support the Singularity Challenge fundraising campaign organized by the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence (currently known as the Machine Intelligence Research Institute), which advocates for safe and beneficial artificial intelligence. He contributed half of the $400,000 matching funds for the 2007 campaign, and by 2013, the Thiel Foundation’s total contributions to the institute had surpassed $1 million. Thiel has also participated in several Singularity Summits, where he voiced concerns regarding the possibility that the technological singularity might not occur soon enough.

In December 2015, OpenAI—a nonprofit dedicated to the secure advancement of artificial general intelligence—announced Thiel as one of its financial supporters.

Life extension

In September 2006, Thiel committed $3.5 million to promote anti-aging research via the nonprofit Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation. He highlighted rapid advancements in biology and endorsed Dr. Aubrey de Grey’s methodology aimed at accelerating progress toward longer, healthier lifespans. By February 2017, his total donations had grown beyond $7 million.

During the Venture Alpha West conference in 2014, Thiel identified advancements in anti-aging science as a significant personal objective. Additionally, he has registered for cryonic preservation with the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, hoping future medical technologies might enable his revival.

Thiel has expressed interest in parabiosis and young blood transfusion as potential health interventions. In a 2016 Inc. magazine interview, he remarked on early successes of this technology in mice before it fell out of favor after the 1950s. Reports indicate that Thiel Capital’s medical director reached out to Ambrosia, a startup focused on transfusions; however, Ambrosia’s founder denied any direct communication with Thiel. A 2022 Jacobin article suggests that Thiel leverages this narrative to cultivate an “evil genius” persona.

Seasteading

On April 15, 2008, Thiel pledged $500,000 to support the newly established nonprofit Seasteading Institute, led by Patri Friedman, which aims to create permanent, self-governing ocean communities to experiment with various social, political, and legal frameworks. At a conference hosted by the institute, he described seasteading as “one of the few technological frontiers capable of creating new spaces for human freedom.” In 2011, Thiel increased his contribution to $1.25 million but resigned from the board that same year. In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, he acknowledged that seasteads remain “not quite feasible from an engineering perspective” and are still “a long way off.”

Thiel Fellowship

On September 29, 2010, Thiel introduced the Thiel Fellowship, which awards $100,000 annually to 20 individuals under age 23 to motivate them to leave college and pursue entrepreneurial ventures. He regards college as a default option for those uncertain about their future paths, often resulting in burdensome debt that is difficult to overcome.

Breakout Ventures

In November 2011, the Thiel Foundation launched Breakout Labs, a grant initiative designed to fill funding voids for pioneering research conducted outside traditional academic, corporate, or governmental environments. This program offers grants up to $350,000 to science-driven startups without imposing any conditions. By April 2012, Breakout Labs had allocated $4.5 million among 12 startups, including the tissue imaging company 3Scan. Now operating under the name Breakout Ventures, the initiative concentrates on biotechnology and hardware sectors, collaborating with partners such as Founders Fund, Formation 8, OATV, Lux Capital, and Khosla Ventures.

Among its recent portfolio are investments in Noetik (focused on cancer therapies), Cytovale (specializing in medical diagnostics), Passkey Therapeutics (developing multifunctional treatments), Copernic Catalysts (working on catalysts for ammonia synthesis), EnPlusOne Biosciences (RNA-based therapeutics), and Phantom Neuro (advancing neurotechnology).

Other causes

In 2011, Thiel contributed NZ$1 million to support relief efforts following the Christchurch earthquake disaster.

Personal life

In October 2017, Thiel wed his long-term partner Matt Danzeisen in Vienna, Austria. Danzeisen began his professional journey as an investment banker at Bank of America Securities and had risen to Vice President at BlackRock by 2007. By 2021, he held the position of Chairman for Bridgetown 1 and Bridgetown 2—investment vehicles backed by Thiel Capital and Richard Li's Pacific Century Group—with Sam Altman also serving on their boards. Danzeisen plays a significant role in Thiel-affiliated ventures linked to Li Ka-shing’s family interests, including the Malta-based entity EUM. As Head of Private Investments at Thiel Capital, he manages portfolios focused on North American and Asian markets. The couple has two young daughters born through surrogacy as of June 2024. In a 2023 interview, Thiel revealed that Danzeisen privately attempted to dissuade him from making donations to Republican causes.

Previously, Thiel was in a long-standing relationship with Jeff Thomas, a social media figure, from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until Thomas's passing in March 2023. Thiel currently resides in San Francisco, California. Miami authorities officially classified Thomas’s death as suicide. Prior to his death, Thomas opposed Thiel’s political engagements and collaborated with Democratic researchers aiming to remove Thiel from political influence—a situation that underscores a growing trend where private personal matters are weaponized within contemporary political battles.

Religious views

Thiel identifies as a Christian and is an advocate of René Girard's Christian anthropology. Raised within an evangelical tradition, by 2011 he described his faith as "somewhat heterodox," explaining: "I believe Christianity is true but I don't feel a compelling need to convince others." He has participated in Veritas Forum discussions alongside theologian N. T. Wright that explore intersections of religion, politics, and technology.

During his time at Stanford University, Thiel attended a lecture by Girard—a Catholic scholar—who articulated how sacrifice and scapegoating serve as mechanisms for resolving social conflicts. This perspective resonated deeply with Thiel as it provided a foundation for his Christian faith distinct from his parents’ fundamentalist beliefs.

Chess

Thiel started playing chess when he was six years old and was once ranked among the leading junior competitors in the United States. He earned the Life Master title but has not participated in tournaments since 2003. On November 30, 2016, Thiel performed the ceremonial first move in the tiebreak match of the World Chess Championship featuring Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen.

Media appearances

Thiel makes occasional appearances as a commentator on CNBC, including guest spots on Closing Bell with Kelly Evans and Squawk Box hosted by Becky Quick. He has been interviewed twice by Charlie Rose on PBS and has contributed written pieces to publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, First Things, and Policy Review, a journal previously published by the Hoover Institution, where he holds a board position.

In the film The Social Network, actor Wallace Langham portrayed Thiel. Thiel criticized the movie as being "incorrect on multiple fronts," a sentiment that partly motivated his creation of the Thiel Fellowship.

The character Peter Gregory on HBO's series Silicon Valley was inspired by Thiel. Reflecting on this portrayal, he remarked, "I liked him [...] I think eccentric is always better than evil."

Writer Jonas Lüscher revealed that his character Tobias Erkner in the novel Kraft ("Force") drew inspiration from Thiel.

Following Thiel's appointment of former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz to Thiel Capital in 2022, comedian Jan Böhmermann from ZDF satirized him as a James Bond antagonist in the song Right time to Thiel.

New Zealand citizenship

Originally holding German citizenship, Thiel became an American citizen through naturalization and later acquired New Zealand citizenship during a private ceremony at New Zealand’s consulate in Santa Monica, California, in August 2011. This fact remained undisclosed until 2017. Before applying, he had visited New Zealand four times for a total of 12 days—significantly less than the usual residency requirement of 1,350 days within five years. Thiel declared no plans to reside in New Zealand, a common prerequisite waived by then-Minister of Internal Affairs Nathan Guy under an "exceptional circumstances" provision.

His application emphasized his economic impact, including establishing a venture capital fund based in Auckland, investing $7 million across two local companies, and donating $1 million to aid relief efforts following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Rod Drury, founder of Xero, provided an official endorsement. Critics argued that Thiel’s case demonstrated how New Zealand passports could be effectively purchased, a claim rejected by government officials. At the time of disclosure, The New Zealand Herald noted enduring connections between Thiel’s firm Palantir and New Zealand’s Defence Force and intelligence services.

In 2015, Thiel bought property near Wānaka, classified as "sensitive land" which typically requires approval from the Overseas Investment Office for foreign purchasers. As a citizen, however, he was exempt from this requirement.

Roth IRA

In 2021, it came to light that Thiel had invested $1,700 through a Roth IRA in 1999 to acquire 1.7 million founder’s shares in the company that evolved into PayPal. As PayPal expanded and was eventually acquired by eBay, his investment’s value soared to more than $5 billion by 2019. This increase was largely fueled by reinvesting proceeds from PayPal into rapidly growing companies such as Palantir and Facebook. Unlike a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA requires paying taxes on contributions upfront, which allows for potentially tax-free withdrawals later. Thiel paid taxes on the original $1,700 deposit, enabling him to withdraw the $5 billion balance without further tax liability after reaching age 59½.

Awards and honors

• In 2006, Thiel was honored with the Herman Lay Award for Entrepreneurship.
• The following year, 2007, he earned the distinction of Young Global Leader from the World Economic Forum, an accolade granted to outstanding leaders under the age of 40.
• On November 7, 2009, Guatemala's Universidad Francisco Marroquin conferred an honorary degree upon him.
• In 2012, Students For Liberty recognized him as "Alumnus of the Year" for his efforts in advancing libertarian principles on university campuses.
• Thiel received the Venture Capitalist of the Year award at the TechCrunch Crunchies in February 2013.
• In 2021, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) presented him with the Frank Schirrmacher prize for his insightful analysis of technological advancement and its socio-political ramifications, a decision that generated some debate. The Frank Schirrmacher Foundation commended his intellectual impact on contemporary discourse across multiple disciplines.

The Diversity Myth

Published in 1995 by the Independent Institute, The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Intolerance at Stanford was co-written by Thiel alongside tech entrepreneur David O. Sacks, featuring a foreword by historian Elizabeth Fox-Genovese. The book critiques political correctness and multiculturalism within higher education, arguing that these trends have undermined academic standards. This perspective faced backlash from then-Stanford Provost Condoleezza Rice and President Gerhard Casper, who dismissed the depiction of Stanford as exaggerated and labeled the commentary as "demagoguery, pure and simple."

In 2016, Thiel issued an apology concerning two contentious statements about rape contained in the book, stating: "Over twenty years ago, I co-authored a book containing several insensitive and poorly reasoned remarks. As I have expressed before, I regret having written those passages. I apologize. Rape in all circumstances is a crime. I regret any text that might have implied otherwise."

Zero to One

During spring 2012, Thiel led Stanford University's CS 183: Startup course. Student Blake Masters' notes from this class served as the foundation for Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, co-authored by Thiel and Masters and published in September 2014. Subsequently, Thiel supported Masters’ 2022 United States Senate election in Arizona bid by contributing more than $10 million.

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic described Zero to One as "arguably the finest business book I have encountered," characterizing it as both a "self-help guide for entrepreneurs" and a "clear and profound exposition of capitalism and success in today’s economy."

Tools of Titans

Thiel provided a chapter offering insights on business strategies and personal development in Tim Ferriss' work Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers.

Other publications

In 2009, Thiel authored The Education of a Libertarian for the Cato Institute's blog, where he expressed doubts about whether "freedom and democracy" can coexist harmoniously. This essay foreshadowed initiatives such as the Department of Government Efficiency project.

Additional reading

• Thiel, Peter (October 3, 2011). "The End of the Future", National Review.
• Chafkin, Max (2021). The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. New York: Penguin.