Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Peter Thiel

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

Peter Thiel is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist known for co-founding PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund. He was also the first outside investor in Facebook. As of March 2025, his net worth is estimated at $16.2 billion, ranking him among the wealthiest individuals globally.

Sections (4)

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

1987: Thiel Co-founded The Stanford Review

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

1993: Thiel Worked at Credit Suisse

In 1993, Peter Thiel worked as a derivatives trader in currency options at Credit Suisse while also working as a speechwriter for William Bennett.

1995: Thiel and Sacks publish The Diversity Myth

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

The Diversity Myth : Multiculturalism and Political Intolerance on Campus

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1995: Thiel Co-Authors The Diversity Myth

In 1995, Peter Thiel co-authored "The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Intolerance at Stanford" with David O. Sacks, criticizing political correctness and multiculturalism in higher education.

The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Intolerance at Stanford

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1996: Thiel Founded Thiel Capital Management

In 1996, Peter Thiel founded Thiel Capital Management.

1996: Thiel Returned to California

Peter Thiel returned to California in 1996.

1998: Thiel Founded Fieldlink/Confinity

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

1998: Thiel Co-founded PayPal

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

1999: Confinity Launched PayPal

In 1999, Confinity launched PayPal to provide a secure digital wallet for online payments.

1999: PayPal Launched and Received Venture Funding

In 1999, PayPal launched at a press conference, receiving $3 million in venture funding from Nokia and Deutsche Bank via PayPal on their PalmPilots.

1999: Thiel Invests in PayPal Shares

In 1999, Peter Thiel invested $1,700 in 1.7 million founder's shares of PayPal using a Roth IRA, a move that would later lead to substantial financial gains.

1999: Thiel Discussed PayPal's Mission

In 1999, Peter Thiel spoke about PayPal's mission to liberate people from the erosion of currency value due to inflation.

2000: PayPal Merged with X.com and Pixo

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

February 2002: PayPal Went Public

On February 15, 2002, PayPal went public.

2002: eBay Acquired PayPal

In 2002, eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion, and Peter Thiel remained CEO until the sale.

May 2003: Thiel Incorporated Palantir Technologies

In May 2003, Peter Thiel incorporated Palantir Technologies, named after the Tolkien artifact.

2003: Thiel Launched Palantir Technologies

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

2003: Thiel Predicted Dollar Weakening

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

August 2004: Thiel Invested in Facebook

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

2004: Thiel Invested in Facebook After Meeting Zuckerberg

In 2004, Peter Thiel invested $500,000 in Facebook after being introduced by Reid Hoffman and meeting with Mark Zuckerberg. The investment was in the form of a convertible note, which Thiel allowed to be converted to equity even when Facebook narrowly missed the target of reaching 1.5 million users by the end of 2004.

2004: Thiel Spoke About the Financial Sector Bubble

In 2004, Peter Thiel spoke of the dot-com bubble migrating into the financial sector, specifying General Electric and Walmart as vulnerable.

2004: Thiel writes "The Straussian Moment" essay

In 2004, Peter Thiel wrote "The Straussian Moment", an essay considered a fundamental text in his political thinking, arguing for a reexamination of modern politics after the September 11 attacks.

2005: Clarium Capital Saw 57.1% Return

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

2005: Thiel creates Founders Fund

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

September 2006: Thiel Donates to Methuselah Mouse Prize Foundation

In September 2006, Peter Thiel announced a $3.5 million donation to the Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation to promote anti-aging research, citing the potential for improved health and longevity.

2006: Clarium Capital Experienced Loss

In 2006, Clarium Capital faltered with a 7.8% loss.

2006: Thiel Backs Singularity Institute

In 2006, Peter Thiel provided $100,000 in matching funds to support the Singularity Challenge donation drive of the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, now known as the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. The organization promotes friendly artificial intelligence development.

2007: Clarium Capital Achieved High Return

In 2007, Clarium Capital achieved a 40.3% return, growing assets under management.

2007: Thiel Helped Time Facebook's Funding Round

In 2007, Peter Thiel helped time Facebook's Series D funding round, which closed before the 2008 financial crisis.

2007: Thiel Provides Matching Funds for Singularity Institute

In 2007, Thiel provided half of the $400,000 matching funds for the Singularity Institute's donation drive, furthering his support for artificial intelligence research.

April 2008: Thiel Pledges to Seasteading Institute

On 15 April 2008, Peter Thiel pledged $500,000 to the newly created non-profit Seasteading Institute, aimed at establishing autonomous ocean communities to foster social and political innovation.

2008: Thiel Supports Committee to Protect Journalists

Beginning in 2008, Peter Thiel has donated over $1 million to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), supporting the rights of journalists to report freely.

2008: Facebook Avoided Financial Crisis

In 2007, Peter Thiel helped time Facebook's Series D funding round, which closed before the 2008 financial crisis.

2008: Clarium Capital's Assets Fell

In 2008, Clarium Capital's assets under management fell after financial markets collapsed.

2009: Thiel Speaks at Singularity Summit

At the 2009 Singularity Summit, Peter Thiel expressed his concern that the technological singularity was not arriving quickly enough, highlighting his interest in accelerating technological advancement.

2009: Clarium Capital's Assets Fell Again

In 2009, Clarium Capital's assets under management fell again after financial markets collapsed.

2009: Thiel essay expresses disillusionment with democracy

In a 2009 essay, Peter Thiel expressed he "no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible" and focused on technologies like cyberspace, space colonization, and seasteading to create new spaces for freedom.

September 2010: Thiel expresses skepticism about consumer Internet sector growth, argues Facebook undervalued

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

September 2010: Thiel Creates Thiel Fellowship

On 29 September 2010, Peter Thiel established the Thiel Fellowship, which annually awards $100,000 to 20 individuals under 23 years old to encourage them to forgo college and pursue their entrepreneurial ventures.

2010: Thiel Co-founded Valar Ventures

In 2010, Peter Thiel co-founded Valar Ventures.

November 2011: Thiel Foundation Announces Breakout Labs

In November 2011, the Thiel Foundation announced the creation of Breakout Labs, a grant-making program offering up to $350,000 to science-focused start-ups outside traditional academic or corporate settings.

2011: Clarium Capital's Investors Pulled Out

By 2011, after missing out on the economic rebound, many key investors pulled out of Clarium Capital, reducing its assets.

2011: Thiel Gives to Seasteading Institute and Resigns from Board

In 2011, Peter Thiel donated $1.25 million to the Seasteading Institute but resigned from its board the same year, marking a shift in his involvement with the organization.

2011: Thiel Donates to Christchurch Earthquake Appeal

In 2011, Peter Thiel donated NZ$1 million to an appeal fund supporting the casualties of the Christchurch earthquake, demonstrating his philanthropic support.

2011: Thiel Supports Human Rights Foundation and Oslo Freedom Forum

In 2011, Peter Thiel supported the Human Rights Foundation, was a featured speaker at the Oslo Freedom Forum, and the Thiel Foundation was a main sponsor of the event, furthering his involvement in human rights advocacy.

2011: Thiel's Contributions and New Zealand Citizenship Application

In 2011, Peter Thiel's New Zealand citizenship application cited his economic contributions, including founding a venture capital fund and investing $7 million in local companies, as well as a $1 million donation to the Christchurch earthquake appeal fund.

April 2012: Breakout Labs Announces First Grantees

In April 2012, Breakout Labs announced its initial set of grantees, awarding a total of $4.5 million to 12 startups, including 3Scan, a tissue imaging platform.

May 2012: Thiel sells Facebook shares during IPO

In May 2012, during Facebook's initial public offering with a market cap of nearly $100 billion ($38 a share), Peter 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, named after the fictitious metal in The Lord of the Rings, with Jim O'Neill and Ajay Royan. Mithril Capital, a fund with $402 million at launch, targets companies beyond the startup stage, ready to scale up.

July 2012: Thiel donates to Club for Growth

In July 2012, Peter Thiel made a $1 million donation to the Club for Growth, a fiscally conservative 501(c)(4) organization, becoming the group's largest contributor.

August 2012: Thiel sells remaining Facebook stake

In August 2012, immediately after the early investor lock-up period concluded, Peter Thiel sold almost all of his remaining Facebook stake for between $19.27 and $20.69 per share, totaling $395.8 million, bringing his total earnings to over $1 billion. He kept his seat on the board of directors.

2012: Thiel donates to fight Minnesota Amendment 1

In 2012, Peter 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 Sold Facebook Shares and Co-founded Mithril Capital

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

2012: Thiel Teaches Startup Course at Stanford

In spring 2012, Peter Thiel taught the class CS 183: Startup at Stanford University, sharing his insights on building successful companies.

2013: Thiel Foundation Donates Over $1 Million to Singularity Institute

As of 2013, the Thiel Foundation had donated over $1 million to the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, demonstrating Thiel's ongoing financial commitment to artificial intelligence research.

September 2014: Zero to One Book Released

In September 2014, the book "Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future" by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters was released, based on notes from Thiel's Stanford course.

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

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2014: Thiel Expresses Interest in Anti-Aging Research and Cryonic Preservation

At the Venture Alpha West 2014 conference, Peter Thiel stated his desire to make progress in anti-aging research. Thiel also mentioned that he is registered for cryonic preservation with the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, in hopes of future revival.

2014: Google acquires DeepMind

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

March 2015: Thiel joins Y Combinator as part-time partner

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

December 2015: Thiel Backs OpenAI

In December 2015, it was announced that Peter Thiel was one of the financial backers of OpenAI, a nonprofit company focused on the safe development of artificial general intelligence.

2015: Palantir Valued at $20 Billion

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

2015: Thiel Became Partner at Y Combinator

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

2015: Thiel discusses innovation discrepancy in computing vs. physical world

In a 2015 conversation with Tyler Cowen, Peter Thiel claimed that innovative breakthroughs were happening in computing and IT, not the physical world, and cited regulation as a cause.

May 2016: Thiel confirms financing 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 a lawsuit by Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan).

August 2016: Gawker Media closes due to Bollea lawsuit

In August 2016, Gawker announced it was permanently closing due to the $140 million jury award in the lawsuit financed by Peter Thiel brought by Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan).

August 2016: Thiel defends online privacy in NYT opinion piece

On 15 August 2016, Peter Thiel published an opinion piece in The New York Times, arguing that his defense of online privacy extended beyond Gawker and included support for the Intimate Privacy Protection Act, asserting the right of athletes and executives to remain in the closet.

2016: Thiel sells additional Facebook shares

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

February 2017: Thiel's Donations to Methuselah Mouse Prize Foundation Exceed $7 Million

As of February 2017, Peter Thiel had donated over $7 million to the Methuselah Mouse Prize foundation, underscoring his dedication to anti-aging research.

November 2017: Thiel sells more Facebook shares

In November 2017, Peter Thiel sold another 160,805 Facebook shares for $29 million, leaving him with 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: Founders Fund invests in Bitcoin

In 2017, Founders Fund bought about $15–20 million worth of bitcoin.

2017: Thiel invests in Clearview AI

In 2017, Peter Thiel was one of the first outside investors in Clearview AI, a facial recognition technology startup that has raised concerns in the tech world and media for its risks of weaponization.

2017: Thiel Assesses Seasteading Feasibility

In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, Peter Thiel deemed seasteads "not quite feasible from an engineering perspective" and "still very far in the future", tempering his previous enthusiasm for the concept.

2017: Thiel's Time at Y Combinator Ended

Peter Thiel's time as a part-time partner at Y Combinator ended in 2017.

January 2018: Founders Fund Bitcoin holdings surge in value

In January 2018, Founders Fund informed investors that due to the surge in cryptocurrency value, their bitcoin holdings were worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

2019: Thiel's PayPal Investment Grows Significantly

As of 2019, Peter Thiel's initial $1,700 investment in PayPal shares through a Roth IRA had grown to over $5 billion, largely due to reinvestments in companies like Palantir and Facebook.

2019: Thiel calls Google "seemingly treasonous"

In 2019, Peter Thiel called Google "seemingly treasonous" and urged a government investigation, citing Google's work with China and questioning if DeepMind or Google's senior management had been "infiltrated" by foreign intelligence agencies.

2019: "The Straussian Moment" discussed at Hoover Institution

In 2019, Peter Thiel's 2004 essay "The Straussian Moment" was the subject of an interview at the Hoover Institution.

April 2020: Thiel's Facebook holdings reduced

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

2021: Details of Thiel's PayPal Investment Revealed

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, growing to over $5 billion by 2019. Since Thiel paid taxes on his initial deposit, he can withdraw the balance tax-free after age 59½.

February 2022: Thiel announces departure from Meta board to support pro-Trump candidates

On 7 February 2022, Peter Thiel announced he would not seek re-election to the board of Facebook owner Meta at the 2022 annual stockholders' meeting. He planned to leave after 17 years to support pro-Donald Trump candidates in the 2022 United States elections.

2022: Thiel Remains Chairman of Palantir Technologies

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

2022: Thiel Endorses and Donates to Blake Masters' Senate Campaign

In 2022, Peter Thiel endorsed and donated over $10 million to Blake Masters' campaign in the United States Senate election in Arizona, supporting his former student's political aspirations.