Occupation | Entrepreneur, Investor, Author |
---|---|
Education | B.A. in Philosophy from Stanford University, J.D. from Stanford Law School |
Nationality | American |
Residence | San Francisco, California |
Date of birth | October 11, 1967 |
Peter Thiel is an American entrepreneur, investor, and author. He is best known as the co-founder of PayPal, the online payment system, and as an early investor in Facebook. Thiel is also the founder and chairman of Palantir Technologies, a data analytics company, and a co-founder of Founders Fund, a venture capital firm.
Thiel is known for his contrarian views on various topics, including education, technology, and politics. He has been a vocal critic of higher education, arguing that it is overpriced and does not provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the modern economy. Thiel has also been a proponent of seasteading, the idea of creating autonomous communities on the ocean, and has been involved in various political causes, including supporting Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.
Peter Thiel was born on October 11, 1967, in Frankfurt, Germany. His family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he grew up in Foster City, California. Thiel attended Stanford University, where he earned a B.A. in Philosophy in 1989. He went on to earn a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1992.
After law school, Thiel worked as a law clerk for Judge James Larry Edmondson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He then worked as an attorney at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City.
In 1998, Thiel co-founded PayPal with Max Levchin and others. PayPal was one of the first companies to offer a secure online payment system, and it quickly became popular with eBay users. PayPal went public in 2002 and was later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion.
After PayPal, Thiel founded Clarium Capital, a hedge fund, and Palantir Technologies, a data analytics company. Thiel also co-founded Founders Fund, a venture capital firm that has invested in companies such as SpaceX, Airbnb, and Lyft.
Thiel has been an early investor in several successful startups, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Yelp. He was also a member of the board of directors at Facebook from 2005 to 2019.
Thiel has had a controversial relationship with other celebrities in the tech industry. He has been a vocal critic of Silicon Valley culture, arguing that it is too politically correct and stifles innovation. Thiel has also been involved in several high-profile legal disputes, including a lawsuit against Gawker Media, which he funded, that ultimately led to the company's bankruptcy.
Thiel has been a supporter of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and served as a delegate for Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Thiel has also been involved in various political causes, including supporting the secession of California from the United States.
Thiel has been a controversial figure in the tech industry and beyond. He has been criticized for his support of Donald Trump and for his involvement in the lawsuit against Gawker Media. Thiel has also been criticized for his views on higher education, which some see as elitist and out of touch with the realities of the modern economy.
Thiel is also an author and has written several books, including "Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future" and "The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and Political Intolerance on Campus." Thiel is known for his provocative and contrarian views, and his writing reflects this.
Thiel is a prominent figure in the tech industry and has been influential in shaping the direction of Silicon Valley. His views on innovation, entrepreneurship, and politics have been widely discussed and debated, and he continues to be a controversial figure in the public eye.