Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Peter Thiel

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Peter Thiel made an impact.

Peter Thiel is a prominent American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political figure. He co-founded PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, and was an early investor in Facebook. Thiel's financial success is substantial, with a net worth estimated at over $20 billion. He is known for his contrarian thinking and involvement in various technology ventures.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1987: Co-founded The Stanford Review

In 1987, Peter Thiel co-founded The Stanford Review, a conservative and libertarian newspaper, at Stanford University.

1989: Graduation from Stanford

In 1989, Peter Thiel graduated from Stanford University, after which he maintained a relationship with The Stanford Review.

1993: Derivatives Trader at Credit Suisse

In 1993, Thiel worked as a derivatives trader in currency options at Credit Suisse while also working as a speechwriter for former United States Secretary of Education William Bennett.

1995: Publication of The Diversity Myth

In 1995, Peter Thiel and David O. Sacks published The Diversity Myth, a book that criticized political correctness and multiculturalism in higher education.

The Diversity Myth : Multiculturalism and Political Intolerance on Campus

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1996: Founded Thiel Capital Management

In 1996, Peter Thiel founded Thiel Capital Management.

1996: Returned to California

In 1996, Thiel returned to California after working in New York.

1998: First Venture: Fieldlink

In 1998, Max Levchin described his cryptography-related company idea to Peter Thiel, which became their first venture called Fieldlink, later renamed Confinity.

1998: Co-founded PayPal

In 1998, Peter Thiel co-founded PayPal with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek.

1999: Launch of PayPal

In 1999, Confinity launched PayPal, a digital wallet designed for consumer convenience and security through data encryption on digital devices.

1999: PayPal Launch and Venture Funding

In 1999, PayPal launched at a press conference and received $3 million in venture funding from Nokia and Deutsche Bank.

1999: Purchase of PayPal shares via Roth IRA

In 1999, Peter Thiel used $1,700 in a Roth IRA to purchase 1.7 million founder's shares in the entity that would become PayPal. By 2019, this investment grew to over $5 billion due to the company's success and subsequent reinvestments.

1999: Thiel's Vision for PayPal

In 1999, Thiel viewed PayPal's mission as liberating people from the erosion of the value of their currencies due to inflation.

2000: Mergers and Expansion

In 2000, PayPal merged with Elon Musk's X.com and Pixo, expanding into the wireless phone market and enhancing user convenience.

February 2002: PayPal Goes Public

On February 15, 2002, PayPal went public.

2002: Sale of PayPal to eBay

In 2002, PayPal was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion, with Thiel as the CEO until the sale.

May 2003: Incorporated Palantir Technologies

In May 2003, Peter Thiel incorporated Palantir Technologies, a big data analysis company named after the Tolkien artifact.

2003: Launched Palantir Technologies

In 2003, Thiel launched Palantir Technologies, a big data analysis company, and has been its chairman since its inception.

2003: Successful Bet Against the Dollar

In 2003, Thiel successfully bet that the United States dollar would weaken.

2003: Stopped competing in Chess

Peter Thiel holds the title of Life Master in chess, but he has not competed since 2003.

August 2004: First Outside Investment in Facebook

In August 2004, Thiel became Facebook's first outside investor, acquiring a 10.2% stake for $500,000.

August 2004: Angel Investment in Facebook

In August 2004, Thiel made a $500,000 angel investment in Facebook for a 10.2% stake and joined Facebook's board.

2004: Investment in Facebook's Seed Round

In 2004, Peter Thiel led Facebook's seed round with a $500,000 investment for 10.2% of the company. The investment was structured as a convertible note, contingent on Facebook reaching 1.5 million users by the end of 2004. Although Facebook narrowly missed the target, Thiel allowed the loan to be converted to equity.

2004: Essay "The Straussian Moment"

In 2004, Peter Thiel wrote "The Straussian Moment", an essay sometimes considered fundamental to his political thinking.

2005: Clarium's High Return

In 2005, Clarium saw a 57.1% return as Thiel predicted that the dollar would rally.

2005: Creation of Founders Fund

In 2005, Peter Thiel established Founders Fund, a venture capital fund based in San Francisco, with partners including Sean Parker, Ken Howery, and Luke Nosek.

September 2006: Pledged donation to Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation

In September 2006, Peter Thiel announced that he would donate $3.5 million to foster anti-aging research through the non-profit Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation.

2006: Provided matching funds to the Singularity Institute

In 2006, Peter Thiel provided $100,000 of matching funds to back the Singularity Challenge donation drive of the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

2007: Matt Danzeisen was Vice President of BlackRock

By 2007, when they were dating, Matt Danzeisen was Vice President of BlackRock.

2007: Clarium's High Return

In 2007, Clarium achieved a 40.3% return due to its petrodollar analysis.

2007: Provided matching funds for the Singularity Institute donation drive

In 2007, Peter Thiel provided half of the $400,000 matching funds for the Singularity Institute donation drive.

2007: Helped with Facebook Funding

In 2007, Zuckerberg credited Thiel with helping him time Facebook's Series D funding.

April 2008: Pledged to the Seasteading Institute

On 15 April 2008, Peter Thiel pledged $500,000 to the newly created non-profit Seasteading Institute.

2008: Donated to the Committee to Protect Journalists

Beginning in 2008, Peter Thiel has donated over $1 million to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

2008: Facebook funding timing

In 2007, Zuckerberg credited Thiel with helping him time Facebook's Series D, which closed before the 2008 financial crisis.

2008: Contributed to the John McCain campaign

In 2008, after Ron Paul failed to secure the Republican nomination, Peter Thiel contributed to the John McCain campaign.

2009: Helped fund James O'Keefe's "Taxpayers Clearing House" video

In 2009, Peter Thiel helped fund college student James O'Keefe's "Taxpayers Clearing House" video, a satirical look at the Wall Street bailout.

2009: Publication of 'The Education of a Libertarian'

In 2009, Peter Thiel published 'The Education of a Libertarian' on the Cato Institute's blog, expressing his view that freedom and democracy are not necessarily compatible.

2009: Thiel's Essay on Freedom and Democracy

In a 2009 essay, Peter Thiel expressed his belief that freedom and democracy are incompatible, citing welfare beneficiaries and women as problematic constituencies for libertarians. He focused on technologies like cyberspace, space colonization, and seasteading to create new spaces for freedom.

September 2010: Skepticism about Consumer Internet Growth, Valuation of Facebook

In September 2010, Peter Thiel expressed skepticism regarding the growth potential in the consumer internet sector, but he argued that Facebook, with a secondary market valuation of $30 billion at the time, was relatively undervalued compared to other Internet companies.

September 2010: Created the Thiel Fellowship

On 29 September 2010, Peter Thiel created the Thiel Fellowship, which awards $100,000 to 20 people under 23 to drop out of college and create their own ventures.

2010: Supported Meg Whitman's bid for governorship

In 2010, Peter Thiel supported Republican Meg Whitman in her unsuccessful bid for the governorship of California.

2010: Co-founded Valar Ventures

In 2010, Thiel co-founded Valar Ventures.

November 2011: Thiel Foundation announced Breakout Labs

In November 2011, the Thiel Foundation announced the creation of Breakout Labs, a grant-making program intended "to fill the funding gap that exists for innovative research outside the confines of an academic institution, large corporation, or government."

2011: Donation to Christchurch earthquake appeal fund

In 2011, Peter Thiel donated $1 million to the Christchurch earthquake appeal fund. His contribution to the economy via his venture capital fund and investments was also cited in his application for citizenship.

2011: Gave to the Seasteading Institute and resigned from the board

In 2011, Peter Thiel gave $1.25 million to the Seasteading Institute, but resigned from its board the same year.

January 2012: Supported the Endorse Liberty Super PAC

In January 2012, Peter Thiel, along with Nosek and Scott Banister, supported the Endorse Liberty Super PAC, collectively giving $3.9 million to promote Ron Paul.

April 2012: Breakout Labs announced its first set of grantees

In April 2012, Breakout Labs announced its first set of grantees, awarding $4.5 million to 12 startups, including 3Scan.

May 2012: Facebook IPO and Share Sale

In May 2012, during Facebook's initial public offering (IPO) with a market capitalization of nearly $100 billion ($38 per share), Peter Thiel sold 16.8 million shares for $638 million.

June 2012: Launch of Mithril Capital Management

In June 2012, Peter Thiel launched Mithril Capital Management, named after the fictitious metal in The Lord of the Rings, alongside Jim O'Neill and Ajay Royan. Mithril Capital, which had $402 million at its launch, focuses on companies that are beyond the startup phase and ready for scaling up.

July 2012: Donated to the Club for Growth

In July 2012, Peter Thiel made a $1 million donation to the Club for Growth, becoming the group's largest contributor.

August 2012: Sale of Remaining Facebook Stake

In August 2012, immediately after the early investor lock-up period concluded, Peter Thiel sold almost all of his remaining stake in Facebook for between $19.27 and $20.69 per share, totaling $395.8 million, resulting in a total of more than $1 billion earned. He retained his seat on the board of directors.

2012: Establishment of Crescendo Equity

Crescendo Equity, a private equity firm focused on mid-cap manufacturing and technology companies in Asia, was established in 2012 with the sponsorship of Peter Thiel.

2012: Donated to Minnesotans United for All Families

In 2012, Peter Thiel donated $10,000 to Minnesotans United for All Families to fight Minnesota Amendment 1, which proposed to ban same-sex marriage.

2012: Sold Majority of Facebook Shares

In 2012, Peter Thiel sold the majority of his shares in Facebook for over $1 billion and co-founded Mithril Capital, was investment committee chair

2012: Teaching Startup at Stanford University

In spring 2012, Peter Thiel taught CS 183: Startup at Stanford University. Blake Masters, a student in the class, took notes that would later form the basis for the book 'Zero to One'.

2013: Thiel Foundation donated over $1 million to the Singularity Institute

As of 2013, the Thiel Foundation had donated over $1 million to the Singularity Institute.

September 2014: Release of 'Zero to One'

In September 2014, 'Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future' by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters was released. The book is based on notes from Thiel's CS 183: Startup class at Stanford University in 2012.

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

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2014: DeepMind Acquired by Google

In early 2014, DeepMind, a UK start-up backed by Peter Thiel, was acquired by Google for £400 million.

March 2015: Joins Y Combinator as Partner

In March 2015, Peter Thiel joined Y Combinator as one of their 10 part-time partners.

December 2015: Announced as financial backer of OpenAI

In December 2015, OpenAI announced that Peter Thiel was one of its financial backers.

2015: Part-time Partner at Y Combinator

From 2015 to 2017, Thiel was a part-time partner at Y Combinator.

2015: Palantir's Valuation

In 2015, Palantir was valued at $20 billion, with Thiel being the company's largest shareholder.

2015: Remarks on Innovation in Computing vs. Physical World

In a 2015 conversation with Tyler Cowen, Peter Thiel claimed that innovative breakthroughs were primarily happening in computing/IT, not the physical world, and expressed disappointment in the lack of progress in space travel, high-speed transit, and medical devices, attributing it to the regulatory environment.

August 2016: Publishes Opinion Piece on Online Privacy

On 15 August 2016, Peter Thiel published an opinion piece in The New York Times, arguing for online privacy beyond the Gawker case and highlighting his support for the Intimate Privacy Protection Act.

October 2016: Donated to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign

On 15 October 2016, Peter Thiel announced a $1.25 million donation in support of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

2016: Sale of Facebook Shares

In 2016, Peter Thiel sold a little under 1 million of his Facebook shares for approximately $100 million.

February 2017: Donated over $7 million to Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation

As of February 2017, Peter Thiel had donated over $7 million to the Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation.

November 2017: Further Reduction of Facebook Holdings

In November 2017, Peter Thiel sold an additional 160,805 shares of Facebook for $29 million, reducing his holdings to 59,913 Class A shares.

November 2017: Y Combinator Severs Ties With Thiel

In November 2017, it was reported that Y Combinator had severed its ties with Peter Thiel.

2017: End of Partnership at Y Combinator

From 2015 to 2017, Thiel was a part-time partner at Y Combinator.

2017: Founders Fund Invests in Bitcoin

In 2017, Founders Fund invested approximately $15–20 million in bitcoin.

2017: Investment in Clearview AI

In 2017, Peter Thiel was among the initial outside investors in Clearview AI, a facial recognition technology startup that garnered concerns in the tech sector and media because of the potential for weaponization.

2017: Investment in HPSP by Crescendo Equity

Since 2017, Crescendo Equity invested in Korea's HPSP.

January 2018: Increase in Bitcoin Holdings Value

In January 2018, Founders Fund informed investors that its bitcoin holdings had significantly increased in value, reaching hundreds of millions of dollars due to the cryptocurrency's surge.

July 2018: Donated to the Trump Victory Committee

In July 2018, Peter Thiel donated $250,000 to the Trump Victory Committee in support of the Republican National Committee during the 2018 midterm elections and Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.

2018: Chinese investment in Kleo-Connect

Since 2018, Chinese investors invested in the Bavarian startup Kleo-Connect.

2019: Value of Thiel's PayPal shares in Roth IRA reaches $5 billion

As of 2019, Peter Thiel's initial $1,700 investment in PayPal shares made through a Roth IRA in 1999 had grown to over $5 billion. This increase resulted from PayPal's growth and Thiel's reinvestments in companies like Palantir and Facebook.

2019: Criticism of Google and Call for Investigation

In 2019, Peter Thiel labeled Google as "seemingly treasonous" and advocated for a government investigation into its work with China, questioning potential infiltration by foreign intelligence agencies within DeepMind or Google's senior management.

2019: Interview on "The Straussian Moment"

In 2019, Peter Thiel's essay "The Straussian Moment" was the subject of an interview at the Hoover Institution.

April 2020: Reduced Facebook Share Ownership

As of April 2020, Peter Thiel owned less than 10,000 shares in Facebook.

2020: Candidates promoted falsehoods about voter fraud in the 2020 election

By February 2022, Thiel was one of the largest donors to Republican candidates in the 2022 election campaign with more than $20.4 million in contributions. Several of the candidates he supported promoted the falsehood that there was significant voter fraud in the 2020 election.

2020: Strategic Partner of Elevat3

In 2020, Peter Thiel became a strategic partner of Elevat3, set up by Christian Angermayer's Apeiron Investment Group to invest in startups in German-speaking countries, focusing on life sciences, deep tech, fintech, property, and insurance.

2020: Supported Trump's re-election campaign

In July 2018, Peter Thiel donated $250,000 to the Trump Victory Committee in support of the Republican National Committee during the 2018 midterm elections and Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.

2020: Free Forever PAC only active during the 2020 election cycle

Peter Thiel's political-action committee, Free Forever, was only active during the 2020 election cycle.

2021: Danzeisen Chairman of Bridgetown 1 and 2

By 2021, Matt Danzeisen was Chairman of Bridgetown 1 and Bridgetown 2, sponsored by Thiel Capital and Richard Li's Pacific Century Group. Sam Altman also sat on the board.

2021: Joins SNÖ Ventures

In 2021, Peter Thiel became an investor and Strategic Partner of the Oslo-based SNÖ Ventures, alongside a group of international strategic advisors.

2021: ProPublica reveals Thiel's Roth IRA holdings

In 2021, ProPublica revealed that Peter Thiel had purchased 1.7 million founder's shares in PayPal using $1,700 in a Roth IRA in 1999. This investment grew to over $5 billion by 2019 due to reinvestments in companies like Palantir and Facebook.

February 2022: Was one of the largest donors to Republican candidates

By February 2022, Peter Thiel was one of the largest donors to Republican candidates in the 2022 election campaign with more than $20.4 million in contributions.

February 2022: Announcement of Departure from Meta's Board

On 7 February 2022, Peter Thiel announced that he would not seek re-election to the board of Meta, Facebook's owner, at the 2022 annual stockholders' meeting, ending his 17-year tenure. He stated that he would leave in order to support pro–Donald Trump candidates in the 2022 United States elections.

2022: Chairman of Palantir Technologies

As of 2022, Peter Thiel continues as the chairman of Palantir Technologies.

2022: Endorsement of Blake Masters' Senate campaign

In 2022, Peter Thiel endorsed Blake Masters' campaign in the United States Senate election in Arizona, donating more than $10 million to the campaign.

2022: Stepped Down from Facebook's Board of Directors

In 2022, Peter Thiel stepped down from the board of directors of Facebook.

2022: Formation of Rivada Space Networks

In 2022, the formation of Rivada Space Networks occurred, drawing its personnel mainly from Kleo-Connect, with Karl Rove participating as an investor and lobbyist.

2023: Lost interest in democracy

In 2023, Barton Gellman of The Atlantic wrote in an article interviewing Thiel that Thiel "has lost interest in democracy" and that "he wouldn’t be giving money to any politician, including Donald Trump, in the next presidential campaign".

2024: Investment in Enhanced Games

In 2024, Peter Thiel invested in the Enhanced Games, a proposed multi-sport event that will allow athletes to use performance-enhancing substances without drug testing.

2024: SNÖ Ventures Investment in Nordic Air Defence

In 2024, SNÖ Ventures made its first investment in the defense tech sector, providing early funding for the Swedish startup Nordic Air Defence, which developed counter-drone missile technology.

2025: Rivada Networks Expansion

By 2025, Rivada Networks, a company with political connections, expanded to 33 countries and secured $16 billion in investments, despite not yet launching its satellites.