Early Life and Education of Peter Thiel: A Complete Timeline
An overview of the childhood and early education of Peter Thiel, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
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.
October 1967: Birth in Frankfurt
In October 1967, Peter Thiel was born in Frankfurt am Main, then part of West Germany, to Klaus Friedrich Thiel and Susanne Thiel.
October 1967: Peter Thiel Born
On October 1967, Peter Andreas Thiel was born in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany.
1977: Settled in Foster City, California
In 1977, the Thiel family settled in Foster City, California, after living in South Africa and South West Africa.
1985: Valedictorian of Graduating Class
In 1985, Peter Thiel was the valedictorian of his graduating class at San Mateo High School.
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.
1992: Earned Juris Doctor Degree
In 1992, Peter Thiel earned his juris doctor degree from Stanford Law School.
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.
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.
2003: Stopped competing in Chess
Peter Thiel holds the title of Life Master in chess, but he has not competed since 2003.
2004: Essay "The Straussian Moment"
In 2004, Peter Thiel wrote "The Straussian Moment", an essay sometimes considered fundamental to his political thinking.
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.
December 2007: Endorsed Ron Paul for President
In December 2007, Peter Thiel endorsed Ron Paul for President in the 2008 United States presidential election.
2007: Matt Danzeisen was Vice President of BlackRock
By 2007, when they were dating, Matt Danzeisen was Vice President of BlackRock.
2007: Gawker Article Outing Thiel
In 2007, Gawker published an article that publicly outed Peter Thiel, headlining it "Peter Thiel is totally gay, people."
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.
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: 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: Spoke at Singularity Summit
At the 2009 Singularity Summit, Peter Thiel said his greatest concern is the technological singularity not arriving soon enough.
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: 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: Invited Ann Coulter to Homocon 2010
In 2010, Peter Thiel invited conservative columnist and friend Ann Coulter to Homocon 2010 as a guest speaker.
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.
August 2011: Received New Zealand citizenship
In August 2011, Peter Thiel received New Zealand citizenship in a private ceremony in Santa Monica, California.
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: Described religious beliefs as 'somewhat heterodox'
As of 2011, Thiel described his religious beliefs as "somewhat heterodox", stating: "I believe Christianity is true but I don't sort of feel a compelling need to convince other people of that."
2011: Coulter dedicated her book Demonic to Thiel
In 2011, Ann Coulter dedicated her book, "Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America", to Peter Thiel.
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.
2011: Was a speaker at the Oslo Freedom Forum
In 2011, Peter Thiel was a featured speaker at the Oslo Freedom Forum, and the Thiel Foundation was one of the event's main sponsors.
2011: Granted New Zealand Citizenship
In 2011, Thiel was controversially granted New Zealand citizenship after government intervention, despite not meeting the standard residency requirements.
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.
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.
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: 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.
2014: Expressed interest in anti-aging research and cryonic preservation
During the Venture Alpha West 2014 conference, Peter Thiel stated he wants to make progress in anti-aging research and is registered for cryonic preservation with the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.
December 2015: Announced as financial backer of OpenAI
In December 2015, OpenAI announced that Peter Thiel was one of its financial backers.
2015: Purchase of estate near Wānaka
In 2015, Peter Thiel purchased a 193-hectare estate near Wānaka, New Zealand. As a citizen, Thiel did not require special permission from the Overseas Investment Office for this purchase, even though the land was classified as "sensitive land".
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.
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.
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.
November 2016: Made ceremonial first move at World Chess Championship
On 30 November 2016, Peter Thiel made the ceremonial first move in the first tiebreak game of the World Chess Championship 2016 between Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen.
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.
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.
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.
2017: Seasteads are not feasible
In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, Peter Thiel said seasteads are "not quite feasible from an engineering perspective" and "still very far in the future".
2017: New Zealand Citizenship Status Made Public
Peter Thiel's New Zealand citizenship status was not made public until 2017.
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.
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: Interview on "The Straussian Moment"
In 2019, Peter Thiel's essay "The Straussian Moment" was the subject of an interview at the Hoover Institution.
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: 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: Reported as FBI Informant
In 2021, Business Insider reported that Peter Thiel became an FBI informant.
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: 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.
March 2023: Jeff Thomas died
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until March 2023, Peter Thiel was also in a long-term relationship with Jeff Thomas, a social media influencer, until Thomas's sudden death.
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".
June 2024: Had two daughters via surrogacy
As of June 2024, Peter Thiel and Matt Danzeisen have two young daughters, aged 5 and 3, born through a surrogate.
May 2025: Thiel's Net Worth
As of May 2025, Forbes estimated Peter Thiel's net worth to be US$20.8 billion, making him the 103rd-richest individual globally.
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