Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Peter Thiel

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Peter Thiel.

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.

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

2007: Gawker Article Outing Thiel

In 2007, Gawker published an article that publicly outed Peter Thiel, headlining it "Peter Thiel is totally gay, people."

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.

2011: Granted New Zealand Citizenship

In 2011, Thiel was controversially granted New Zealand citizenship after government intervention, despite not meeting the standard residency requirements.

May 2016: Confirms Funding of Lawsuits Against Gawker Media

In May 2016, Peter Thiel confirmed that he had provided $10 million to finance lawsuits against Gawker Media, including Hulk Hogan's lawsuit regarding a sex tape publication.

August 2016: Gawker Closes Due to Lawsuit

In August 2016, Gawker announced it was permanently closing due to the $140 million lawsuit funded by Peter Thiel.

2016: Apology for statements in 'The Diversity Myth'

In 2016, Peter Thiel apologized for insensitive statements made in his book 'The Diversity Myth', specifically regarding the rape crisis movement. He expressed regret for writing passages that could be interpreted as minimizing the severity of rape.

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

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2016: Funded Hulk Hogan Lawsuit

In 2016, Thiel confirmed funding Hulk Hogan in the Bollea v. Gawker lawsuit because Gawker had outed Thiel as gay, leading to Gawker's bankruptcy.

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.

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.

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.

2021: Reported as FBI Informant

In 2021, Business Insider reported that Peter Thiel became an FBI informant.

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.