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 German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and conservative political activist. He co-founded PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund. He was also Facebook's first outside investor. As of late 2025, his net worth was estimated at $27.5 billion, making him one of the world's wealthiest individuals.
1987: Co-founded The Stanford Review
In 1987, Peter Thiel co-founded The Stanford Review, a conservative and libertarian newspaper, at Stanford University.
1989: Graduated from Stanford and ended term as editor
In 1989, Peter Thiel graduated from Stanford University and ended his term as editor-in-chief of The Stanford Review.
1992: Law clerk and securities lawyer
In 1992, Peter Thiel was a law clerk to Judge James Larry Edmondson and later worked as a securities lawyer.
1993: Worked at Credit Suisse as derivatives trader
In 1993, Peter Thiel worked as a derivatives trader at Credit Suisse while also being a speechwriter for William Bennett.
1995: The Diversity Myth published
In 1995, the Independent Institute published "The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Intolerance at Stanford", which Peter Thiel co-authored with David O. Sacks. The book criticizes political correctness and multiculturalism in higher education.
1996: Founded Thiel Capital Management
In 1996, Peter Thiel founded Thiel Capital Management.
1998: Co-founded Fieldlink
In 1998, Peter Thiel co-founded Fieldlink (later renamed Confinity).
1998: Initial $100,000 investment in Fieldlink
In 1998, Peter Thiel provided the initial $100,000 for Fieldlink.
February 1999: Raised $500,000 for Fieldlink
In February 1999, Peter Thiel and partners raised $500,000 largely from friends and family for Fieldlink, with $35,000 coming from Thiel's parents.
1999: Confinity Launched PayPal
In 1999, Confinity launched PayPal, a digital wallet for consumer convenience and security through encrypted data on digital devices.
1999: PayPal Launched
In 1999, PayPal launched at a press conference where Nokia and Deutsche Bank representatives sent $3 million in venture funding using PayPal on their PalmPilots.
2000: PayPal mergers
In 2000, PayPal continued to grow through mergers with Elon Musk's X.com and Pixo.
February 2002: PayPal went public
On February 15, 2002, PayPal went public.
2002: PayPal sold to eBay
In 2002, PayPal was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion. Peter Thiel was PayPal's CEO until the sale.
May 2003: Incorporated Palantir Technologies
In May 2003, Peter Thiel incorporated Palantir Technologies, a big data analysis company.
2003: Co-founded Palantir Technologies
In 2003, Peter Thiel co-founded Palantir Technologies.
2003: Bet on weakening of the United States dollar
In 2003, Peter Thiel successfully bet that the United States dollar would weaken.
August 2004: Became Facebook's first outside investor
In August 2004, Peter Thiel became Facebook's first outside investor by acquiring a 10.2% stake for $500,000.
August 2004: Made angel investment in Facebook
In August 2004, after the first meeting with Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel made a $500,000 angel investment in Facebook for a 10.2% stake and joined the board.
2004: First outside investor in Facebook
In 2004, Peter Thiel became the first outside investor in Facebook.
2004: Spoke of dot-com bubble migration to financial sector
In 2004, Peter Thiel spoke of the dot-com bubble having migrated, in effect, into a growing bubble in the financial sector, and specified General Electric and Walmart as vulnerable.
2004: "The Straussian Moment" written
In 2004, Peter Thiel wrote the essay "The Straussian Moment", which is considered to be a fundamental text in his political thinking and argues for a reexamination of the foundations of modern politics following the September 11 attacks.
2005: Clarium saw a 57.1% return
In 2005, Clarium saw a 57.1% return as Peter Thiel predicted that the dollar would rally.
2005: Thiel Creates 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.
2007: Clarium achieved a 40.3% return
In 2007, Clarium's assets under management grew after achieving a 40.3% return, reaching more than $7 billion by the first quarter of 2008.
2007: Timed Facebook's 2007 Series D
Zuckerberg credited Thiel with helping him time Facebook's 2007 Series D.
2008: Thiel's Donations to CPJ Begin
Beginning in 2008, Thiel has donated over $1 million to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
2008: Helped time Facebook's 2007 Series D before 2008 financial crisis
In 2008, Thiel's help timing Facebook's 2007 Series D, helped the company avoid financial fallout during the 2008 financial crisis.
2009: Thiel's Essay as a Watershed Moment
In 2009, Nick Land marked Thiel's essay "The Education of a Libertarian" and statement about freedom and democracy as a key moment in the Dark Enlightenment. Patrick Zarrelli argues the quote is misread as anti-democratic, with Thiel's concern being mass democracy's potential to erode freedoms essential for innovation.
2010: Co-founded Valar Ventures
In 2010, Peter Thiel co-founded Valar Ventures.
2011: Thiel Backs Thrive Capital
Also in 2011, Peter Thiel backed the second fund of Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital.
2011: Founded Thiel Capital and granted New Zealand citizenship
In 2011, Peter Thiel founded Thiel Capital and was granted New Zealand citizenship.
2011: Thiel Capital Founded
In 2011, Peter Thiel founded Thiel Capital, a venture capital fund and family office based in Los Angeles, providing strategic and operational support for his initiatives.
2011: First Investment in Grandmaster Capital Management
In 2011, Thiel made his first investment in a hedge fund managed by an outside manager, Grandmaster Capital Management, founded by Patrick Wolff.
2011: Thiel at Oslo Freedom Forum
In 2011, Thiel was a featured speaker at the Oslo Freedom Forum, with the Thiel Foundation as one of the event's main sponsors.
2011: Thiel donates to Christchurch earthquake appeal fund
In 2011, as part of his application for New Zealand citizenship, Peter Thiel made a $1 million donation to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake appeal fund.
May 2012: Facebook's IPO
In May 2012, Facebook's initial public offering was held, with a market cap of nearly $100 billion, and Thiel sold 16.8 million shares for $638 million.
June 2012: Thiel Launches Mithril Capital Management
In June 2012, Peter Thiel launched Mithril Capital Management with Jim O'Neill and Ajay Royan, targeting companies ready to scale up.
July 2012: Thiel Donates to Club for Growth
In July 2012, Thiel donated $1 million to the Club for Growth, becoming the group's largest contributor.
August 2012: Sold almost all of his remaining stake in Facebook
In August 2012, Peter Thiel sold almost all of his remaining stake in Facebook for $395.8 million, totaling more than $1 billion.
2012: Crescendo Equity Established
In 2012, Crescendo Equity, a private equity firm focusing on mid-cap manufacturing and technology companies in Asia, was established with Peter Thiel as a sponsor.
2012: Co-founded Mithril Capital and investment committee chair
In 2012, Peter Thiel co-founded Mithril Capital and was investment committee chair.
2012: Thiel Donates to Fight Minnesota Amendment 1
In 2012, Thiel donated $10,000 to Minnesotans United for All Families to fight Minnesota Amendment 1, which proposed to ban marriage between same-sex couples.
2012: Thiel teaches the class CS 183: Startup at Stanford University
In spring 2012, Peter Thiel taught the class CS 183: Startup at Stanford University.
2012: Founders Fund Quietly Buys Bitcoin
Since 2012, Founders Fund had been quietly buying bitcoin, with the investment totaling around $20 million.
September 2014: "Zero to One" is released
In September 2014, "Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future" by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, based on Thiel's Stanford course notes, was released.
2014: Founders Fund Invests in DeepMind
In early 2014, Founders Fund backed DeepMind, a UK start-up that was acquired by Google for £400 million.
March 2015: Thiel Joins Y Combinator
In March 2015, Peter Thiel joined Y Combinator as one of 10 part-time partners.
2015: Partner at Y Combinator
From 2015 to 2017, Peter Thiel was a part-time partner at Y Combinator.
2015: Epstein Invests in Valar
In 2015 and 2016, Jeffrey Epstein invested a total of 40 million in Valar.
2015: Founders Fund Invests in Privateer Holdings
In 2015, The Founders Fund became the first institutional investor in the cannabis industry by investing in the Seattle-based private equity fund Privateer Holdings.
2015: Thiel on Innovation in Computing vs. Physical World
In 2015, during a conversation with Tyler Cowen, Thiel claimed innovative breakthroughs were mainly happening in computing/IT, not the physical world. He cited regulation as a cause, stating that bits were unregulated while atoms were regulated.
2015: 1517 Fund Founded with Thiel's Backing
In 2015, the 1517 Fund was founded by Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson, with Peter Thiel's backing, to support dropouts, renegade students, and deep tech scientists.
May 2016: Thiel Finances Lawsuits Against Gawker
In May 2016, Peter Thiel confirmed that he had paid $10 million in legal expenses to finance lawsuits against Gawker Media, including the Hulk Hogan case.
August 2016: Gawker Closes Due to Lawsuit
In August 2016, Gawker announced it was permanently closing due to the lawsuit financed by Peter Thiel, with Terry Bollea being awarded $140 million.
August 2016: Thiel's Opinion Piece in The New York Times
On August 15, 2016, Peter Thiel published an opinion piece in The New York Times arguing that his defense of online privacy went beyond Gawker and highlighted his support for the Intimate Privacy Protection Act.
2016: Epstein Pitches Reporty to Valar
In 2016, Jeffrey Epstein pitched Reporty (later Carbyne) to Valar, but the proposal was rejected.
2016: Sold shares in Facebook for around $100 million
In 2016, Peter Thiel sold a little under 1 million of his shares in Facebook for around $100 million.
November 2017: Sold shares in Facebook for $29 million
In November 2017, Peter Thiel sold another 160,805 shares in Facebook for $29 million, putting his holdings at 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: Anduril Founded with Founders Fund Backing
In 2017, Anduril, a defense hardware startup, was founded by Palmer Luckey and others, with the Founders Fund leading its seed round.
2017: Crescendo Equity Invests in HPSP
In 2017, Crescendo Equity Partners invested in Korea's HPSP, later transforming it into a global player in the semiconductor equipment sector.
2017: Thiel Invests in Clearview AI
In 2017, Thiel became one of the first outside investors in Clearview AI, a facial recognition technology startup known for its risks of weaponization.
2017: Thiel Limited Partner at Social Capital
In 2017, a Globe and Mail article named Peter Thiel as a limited partner at Social Capital.
2018: Roth IRA Held in Rivendell Trust
In 2018, Thiel's Roth IRA was held in Rivendell Trust.
2018: Founders Fund Invests in Carbyne
In 2018, the Founders Fund invested in the Israeli company Carbyne (emergency service).
2018: Founders Fund Joins Carbyne's Series B
In 2018, the Founders Fund joined Carbyne's $15 million Series B funding round.
2018: Chinese investors invest in Kleo-Connect since 2018
Since 2018, Kleo-Connect's Chinese investors invested in the company.
2019: Thiel discusses "The Straussian Moment" at Hoover Institution
In 2019, Peter Thiel's essay "The Straussian Moment" was the subject of an interview at the Hoover Institution.
2019: Thiel Backs 1Confirmation
In 2019, Peter Thiel, along with Mark Cuban and Marc Andreessen, backed the San Francisco-based crypto investment fund 1Confirmation.
2019: Growth of Thiel's Roth IRA
In 2019, ProPublica reported that Thiel's investments in PayPal, Palantir, and Facebook through a Roth IRA had grown tax-free to over $5 billion.
April 2020: Owned less than 10,000 shares in Facebook
As of April 2020, Peter Thiel owned less than 10,000 shares in Facebook.
2020: Thiel Investor in 8VC and Disruptive Technology Advisers
According to a 2020 Bloomberg article, Peter Thiel was an investor in funds managed by 8VC and in the bank Disruptive Technology Advisers.
2020: Thiel Becomes Strategic Partner of Elevat3
In 2020, Peter Thiel became a strategic partner and anchor investor of Elevat3, set up by Christian Angermayer's Apeiron Investment Group to invest in startups in German-speaking countries.
2020: Thiel Joins AbCellera's Board
In 2020, Peter Thiel joined AbCellera's board.
2020: Thiel Capital Invests in EnClear Therapies and ATAI Life Sciences
In 2020, Thiel Capital invested in Alloy Therapeutics, EnClear Therapies, and the German unicorn ATAI Life Sciences, with Jason Camm joining the board of EnClear Therapies and becoming a director at ATAI Life Sciences.
2021: Thiel Joins SNÖ Ventures
In 2021, Peter Thiel joined SNÖ Ventures as an investor and strategic partner, accompanied by a group of international strategic advisors.
2021: Movensys Name Change
In 2021, Soft Servo Group was renamed to Movensys after Crescendo's investment.
2021: Thiel Backs A-Star Partners
In 2021, Thiel backed the first fund of A-Star Partners, founded by Kevin Hartz.
February 2022: Thiel Leaves Meta Board to Support Pro-Trump Candidates
In February 2022, Peter Thiel announced his departure from the board of Meta (Facebook's owner) after 17 years, aiming to support pro-Donald Trump candidates in the 2022 United States elections.
March 2022: Founders Fund Sells Crypto Holdings Before Market Crash
In March 2022, Founders Fund sold the majority of its crypto holdings for $1.8 billion, right before the market crashed, with bitcoin comprising two-thirds of its holdings.
2022: Chairman of Palantir Technologies
As of 2022, Peter Thiel continues as the chairman of Palantir Technologies.
2022: Thiel Backs Wischoff Ventures
In 2022, Peter Thiel backed B2B-focused Wischoff Ventures founded by Nichole Wischoff.
2022: Thiel Backs Tacora
In 2022, Peter Thiel significantly backed the venture debt firm Tacora, founded by Keri Findley, investing US$250 million out of the fund's total US$350 million.
2022: Creation of 1789 Capital
In 2022, Peter Thiel was an instrumental force behind the creation of 1789 Capital, co-founded by Omeed Malik and Chris Buskirk, intending to create a "parallel economy".
2022: Legal Struggles for Próspera Project
In 2022, the Próspera project in Honduras, backed by Thiel through Pronomos Capital, faced legal struggles when the new Honduran government changed the laws.
2022: Apeiron Group Becomes Shareholder in NAGA Group
In 2022, through Elevat3 and in partnership with the Founders Fund, the Apeiron Group bought shares from Fosun International and others to become a shareholder in the Hamburg-based NAGA Group.
2022: Formation of Rivada Space Networks in 2022
Rivada Space Networks, drawing its personnel mainly from Kleo-Connect, was formed in 2022.
2023: Founding of Investment Firm by Jason Camm
In 2023, an investment firm was founded by Jason Camm (Chief Medical Officer of Thiel Capital), with Thiel's name being used but his direct involvement beyond that not explicitly disclosed in regulatory filings.
November 2024: Thiel Resigns from AbCellera's Board
In November 2024, Thiel resigned from AbCellera's board for personal reasons, retaining his stake in the company.
November 2024: 1517 Fund Backs Venus Aerospace
Since November 2024, the 1517 Fund has backed Venus Aerospace, a company developing hypersonic flight using rotating detonation rocket engine.
December 2024: 1517 Fund Approved for SBICCT Funding
In December 2024, 1517 Fund got approval to get funding from the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative (SBICCT).
December 2024: Palantir and Anduril Form Defense Consortium
In December 2024, Palantir and Anduril formed a consortium of new generation defense companies, including SpaceX, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Saronic Technologies, to challenge traditional defense companies.
2024: Donald Trump Jr. Joins 1789 Capital
In 2024, Donald Trump Jr. joined 1789 Capital as a partner.
2024: Thiel Founds Enhanced Games
In 2024, Peter Thiel became the lead funder of the Enhanced Games, a proposed multi-sport event allowing athletes to use performance-enhancing substances.
2024: SNÖ Ventures Invests 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.
2024: Founders Fund Leads Seed Round for SentientAGI and Invests in Impulse Space, Ramp, and Crusoe
In 2024, the Founders Fund led a US$85 million seed round for SentientAGI, a UAE's decentralized AI platform and invested in Impulse Space(in-space transportation services), Ramp, Crusoe (AI infrastructure using clean energy).
2024: Founders Fund Incubates Valinor Enterprises
In 2024, the Founders Fund, along with General Catalyst and Red Cell Partners, incubated Valinor Enterprises, a defense incubator co-founded by Julie Bush, Trae Stephens, Paul Kwan, and Grant Verstandig.
April 2025: General Matter Emerges From Stealth
In April 2025, General Matter emerged from stealth, focusing on "production and handling of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU)," with Scott Nolan as CEO and Peter Thiel on the board.
May 2025: Quantum-Systems Becomes Europe's First Dual-Use Unicorn
In May 2025, Quantum-Systems, a Gilching-based drone startup backed by Thiel Capital, became Europe's first dual-use unicorn and third defense unicorn.
June 2025: Founders Fund Makes Largest Investment in Anduril
In June 2025, the Founders Fund invested $1 billion in Anduril as part of a $2.5 billion Series G funding round, marking the largest investment in the fund's history.
July 2025: 1517 Fund Reportedly Raises US$315 Million for First Fund
In July 2025, 1517 Fund reportedly raised US$315 million for its first fund.
July 2025: Criticism of Government Favoring Anduril
In July 2025, a provision in the Trump administration's budget bill requiring border surveillance towers to be "tested and accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deliver autonomous capabilities" was criticized by Edith Olmsted for favoring Peter Thiel's business, Anduril.
October 2025: Reports confirm fund investments
In October 2025, reports confirmed that the firm is Thiel's after investments were made into Peptilogics and HistoSonics.
December 2025: Thiel Donates to Oppose Wealth Tax
In December 2025, Thiel donated $3 million to the California Business Roundtable to oppose a proposed 5% wealth tax on billionaires in California.
2025: Rivada Space Networks Expands Globally, Despite Unlaunched Satellites
By 2025, Rivada Space Networks has expanded to 33 countries and collected $16 billion in investments, despite having not launched its satellites, with deployment set to begin in 2027 and initial tests in 2026.
2025: Crescendo Initiates Sale of Stake in Semiconductor Firm
In 2025, Crescendo Equity initiated the sale of its 40.9% controlling equity stake in a Korean semiconductor firm, attracting bids from major global PEF firms.
2025: Founders Fund Invests in Erebor, EnduroSat and Varda
In 2025, the Founders Fund invested in Erebor (a digital bank founded by Palmer Luckey), EnduroSat (Bulgarian startup that produces Gen3 satellites at scale), and Varda (space medicine and hypersonic testbed startup).
2026: Initial Tests for Rivada Space Networks set for 2026
Initial tests for Rivada Space Networks are set for 2026.
2027: Satellite Deployment for Rivada Space Networks set to begin in 2027
Satellite deployment for Rivada Space Networks is set to begin in 2027.
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