Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist.

Peter Thiel is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. He is best known as a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, a founding partner of Founders Fund, and Facebook’s first outside investor.

Early life and education

Peter Thiel was born in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, on 11 October 1967. He later moved with his family to the United States and studied at Stanford University, eventually becoming a prominent figure in Silicon Valley.

Business career

Thiel co-founded PayPal in 1998 and later co-founded Palantir Technologies in 2003. He is a founding partner of Founders Fund, a venture capital firm, and was Facebook’s first outside investor, joining its board after an early angel investment in 2004. As of December 2025, his estimated net worth was US$27.5 billion according to reporting cited by Wikipedia.

Political activity

Thiel is widely described as a conservative political activist, with libertarian or paleolibertarian leanings in some sources. He has been active in supporting conservative and libertarian-leaning causes in U.S. politics.

Public profile

Thiel is also known as an author, philanthropist, and influential Silicon Valley investor. He has described himself publicly as gay, including in a speech at the Republican National Convention. His public statements on technology, politics, and social issues have made him a frequent subject of media coverage.