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 German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. Best known as a co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he also made an early, pivotal investment in Facebook. Thiel's significant net worth places him among the world's wealthiest individuals. His influence extends beyond business; he's considered a key intellectual figure in shaping Silicon Valley's modern culture and philosophy, especially related to technological innovation and libertarian politics.

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

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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1998: Co-wrote "The Diversity Myth"

In 1998, Thiel co-wrote the book "The Diversity Myth", which attacked liberalism and multiculturalism.

2007: Gawker article outing Thiel

In 2007, Gawker published an article publicly outing Peter Thiel, headlined "Peter Thiel is totally gay, people."

2009: The Education of a Libertarian Essay

In 2009, Nick Land identified Thiel's essay "The Education of a Libertarian" and his statement questioning the compatibility of freedom and democracy as a key moment in the Dark Enlightenment movement's development.

2009: The Guardian's Description of Thiel's Neoconservatism

In 2009, The Guardian described Thiel as a neoconservative and highlighted his involvement in the online group "TheVanguard.org", noting his philosophical alignment with René Girard and his views on enlightenment thinkers.

2011: Granted New Zealand Citizenship

In 2011, Peter Thiel was granted New Zealand citizenship, which later became controversial.

May 2016: Thiel confirmed funding of Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker

In May 2016, Peter Thiel confirmed in an interview with The New York Times that he had paid $10 million in legal expenses to finance Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker Media.

August 2016: Gawker announced closing due to lawsuit

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

2016: Apology for statements in 'The Diversity Myth'

In 2016, Peter Thiel apologized for insensitive statements he made in the book "The Diversity Myth" regarding the rape crisis movement and multicultural rape charges, stating that he wished he'd never written those things and that rape in all forms is a crime.

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

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2016: Funding of Bollea v. Gawker Lawsuit

In 2016, Peter Thiel confirmed that he had funded Hulk Hogan in the Bollea v. Gawker lawsuit, which ended with Gawker losing the case. Gawker had previously outed Thiel as gay.

2017: Thiel invests in Clearview AI

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

2019: Thiel calls Google treasonous

In 2019, Thiel publicly criticized Google, calling the company "seemingly treasonous" due to its work with China and questioned if Google's DeepMind or senior management had been infiltrated by foreign intelligence agencies, urging a government investigation.

2021: Thiel Became an FBI Informant

In 2021, Peter Thiel became an FBI informant. According to former FBI agent Johnathan Buma, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and David Sacks have been targets of Russian intelligence.

2021: Danish National Police responded to Folketing on Praxis project concerns

In 2021, the Danish National Police responded to the Folketing regarding concerns about the Praxis project.

2022: Satirical song 'Right time to Thiel' released

In 2022, after Thiel hired former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz for Thiel Capital, Jan Böhmermann of the ZDF wrote and performed the satirical song "Right time to Thiel" that portrayed Thiel as a James Bond villain.

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2022: Legal struggles for Próspera project following Honduran government changes in laws

In 2022, the Próspera project, backed by Peter Thiel's Pronomos Capital in Honduras, faced legal struggles after the new Honduran government changed the laws.

2023: Report on Thiel as FBI informant

In 2023, Business Insider reported that Thiel became an FBI informant in 2021 and noted the fact that politicians sponsored by Thiel had repeatedly attacked the FBI and its leadership in public.

2024: James Rushing Daniel's Description of Thiel's Capitalism

In 2024, James Rushing Daniel described Thiel in the Quarterly Journal of Speech as advocating for an "overtly exclusionary and rapacious form of capitalism" seeking to replace "progressive neoliberalism".

May 2025: Quantum Systems becomes Europe's first dual-use unicorn

In May 2025, Quantum Systems became Europe's first dual-use unicorn and third defense unicorn. Peter Thiel's mentee Moritz Döpfner brokered the deal with Quantum Systems on Thiel's behalf and sits on its board.

July 2025: Criticism of government favor towards Anduril in border surveillance

In July 2025, Edith Olmsted of The New Republic criticized the Trump administration's budget bill for including a provision that required border surveillance towers to be "tested and accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deliver autonomous capabilities". She felt the government favored Peter Thiel's business, as the provision effectively ruled out Anduril's rivals, namely General Dynamics and the Israeli-based Elbit Systems, because only Anduril fulfilled the provision.

September 2025: Talks on the Antichrist, Armageddon and Apocalypse

In September 2025, Peter Thiel gave talks on the Antichrist, Armageddon, and Apocalypse as part of a series of off-the-record private lectures organized by David Wood's Acts 17 Collective in San Francisco, which drew a group of protesters. He discussed his views on various apocalyptic threats and the concept of the Katechon as a restrainer of the Antichrist.

2025: Artyom Lukin's Analysis of Thiel's Geopolitical Strategy

In 2025, Artyom Lukin analyzed Thiel's geopolitical strategy, describing him as a key figure pushing the US to focus on China as the primary threat while viewing Russia as a lesser concern.

2025: Ijoma Mangold's Article and René Martens' Criticism

In 2025, Ijoma Mangold wrote an article for Die Zeit describing Thiel's theories as obscure but often accurate. René Martens then criticized Mangold and Die Zeit for admiring Thiel and called him a disciple of Carl Schmitt.

2025: Praxis project a threat to Greenland during Palantir integration

In 2025, during the Danish government's integration of Palantir into its services, opponents argued that the Praxis project, backed by Peter Thiel, posed a threat to Greenland.