Peter Thiel is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and political activist known for his influential role in the technology industry. He co-founded PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, and was the first outside investor in Facebook. As of July 2024, his estimated net worth is $11.2 billion, making him one of the world's richest people.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Thiel moved to the United States with his family when he was just one year old. Growing up, he experienced an itinerant lifestyle, living in various places, including South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia), before settling in California.
Thiel's early academic achievements were marked by a strong aptitude for mathematics, winning a statewide competition in California. He graduated as valedictorian from San Mateo High School in 1985 before studying philosophy at Stanford University, where he co-founded The Stanford Review.
After receiving his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1992, Thiel worked briefly as a securities lawyer and derivatives trader. His entrepreneurial journey began in earnest when he founded Thiel Capital Management in 1996. In 1998, he co-founded PayPal with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek and served as CEO until eBay acquired the company for $1.5 billion in 2002.
Thiel founded global macro hedge fund Clarium Capital, followed by big data analytics-focused Palantir Technologies in 2003 and Founders Fund, a venture capital firm investing in disruptive technology companies, in 2005.
Thiel's book, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (2014), encapsulates his philosophy on innovation and entrepreneurship. Based on his lectures at Stanford, Zero to One argues that progress is not just about extending existing ideas (going from 1 to n) but about creating entirely new ideas (going from 0 to 1).
Thiel contends that true innovation requires original thinking and escaping the competition by building unique and transformative businesses. As he says, "The great mystery of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create".
The book became a #1 New York Times bestseller and was praised by industry leaders such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg for its fresh insights into creating value and thinking differently about the future.
Beyond his business ventures, Thiel is known for his political activities and philanthropy. He has donated to various libertarian causes and was controversially granted New Zealand citizenship despite not meeting the standard residency requirements. His Thiel Foundation supports research in areas such as artificial intelligence, life extension and seasteading.
