Peter Thiel is a prominent figure in technology, finance, and politics, known for his roles as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. Here's an overview of his life and career:


Early Life and Education:

  • Born: October 11, 1967, in Frankfurt, West Germany (now Germany), Thiel moved to the United States with his family as a child.

  • Education:

    • Attended Stanford University, where he earned both a B.A. in Philosophy and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

    • While at Stanford, Thiel was involved in the founding of The Stanford Review, a conservative student newspaper.


Career Highlights:

  • PayPal:

    • Co-founder and CEO: Thiel co-founded PayPal (initially known as Confinity) in 1998. He served as its CEO until its acquisition by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. His book "Zero to One" partly reflects lessons from his PayPal experience.

  • Palantir Technologies:

    • Co-founder: In 2004, Thiel co-founded Palantir Technologies, a data analytics company focusing on government and commercial clients. Palantir has become known for its work in big data, particularly in areas like intelligence, security, and healthcare.

  • Founders Fund:

    • Co-founder: Thiel started Founders Fund in 2005, a venture capital firm that has invested in companies like SpaceX, Airbnb, and Stripe, among others. The firm is known for backing unconventional and high-risk ventures.

  • Thiel Capital:

    • Investment Management: Thiel manages his personal investments through Thiel Capital, where he has invested in numerous tech startups and other ventures.

  • Facebook:

    • Early Investor: Thiel was the first outside investor in Facebook, providing $500,000 in seed money in 2004. This investment significantly increased his wealth when the company went public.


Political and Social Influence:

  • Libertarianism: Thiel is a well-known libertarian, advocating for limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. He financially supports various libertarian causes and candidates.

  • Seasteading: He's a proponent of seasteading, the idea of creating permanent, autonomous communities at sea, funding initiatives like The Seasteading Institute to explore this concept.

  • Legal Battles: Thiel secretly funded the lawsuit by Hulk Hogan against Gawker Media, which led to Gawker's bankruptcy. This action was seen as a response to Gawker's invasion of Thiel's privacy.

  • Education: Through the Thiel Fellowship, he offers young entrepreneurs $100,000 to skip or drop out of college to work on their startup ideas, challenging traditional educational paths.

Controversies and Criticisms:

  • Political Views: Thiel's support for Donald Trump in 2016 and his general political stances have been controversial, especially within Silicon Valley, known for its predominantly liberal leanings.

  • Privacy and Surveillance: His involvement with Palantir has raised concerns about privacy and government surveillance.

  • Cryptocurrency: Thiel has shown interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, though his involvement is more as an investor than a developer.

Legacy:

Peter Thiel's influence spans technology, finance, and politics. He's often credited with foresight in tech investments, particularly in the early stages of companies that have gone on to define their sectors. His philosophy, as detailed in "Zero to One," emphasizes creating new things rather than just improving existing ones, which has influenced entrepreneurial thinking worldwide. However, his political activities and some of his business decisions have made him a polarizing figure.