Peter Thiel

Also known as Peter Andreas Thiel, Peter A. Thiel

Peter Andreas Thiel is a German and American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and conservative political activist. A co-founder of PayPal (1998), Palantir Technologies (2003), and Founders Fund (2005), he was also the first outside investor in Facebook (2004). According to The New York Times, as of December 2025, Thiel's estimated net worth stood at US$27.5 billion, placing him among the 100 richest individuals in the world.

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Sifirdan Bire
Da zero a uno. I segreti delle startup, ovvero come si costruisce il futuro
Diversity Myth
Zero to One
The diversity myth

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Key facts

Born: Peter Andreas Thiel , ( 1967-10-11 ) 11 October 1967 (age 58) , Frankfurt , West Germany
Citizenship: Germany United States New Zealand
Education: Stanford University ( BA , JD )
Occupations: Businessman entrepreneur venture capitalist
Title: President of Clarium Capital Chairman of Palantir Partner in Founders Fund President of Thiel Capital Chairman of Valar Ventures Chair of Mithril Capital

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Article

Peter Andreas Thiel (/tiːl/ ; born 11 October 1967) is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and conservative political activist. A co-founder of PayPal (1998), Palantir Technologies (2003), and Founders Fund (2005), he was also the first outside investor in Facebook (2004). According to The New York Times, as of December 2025, Thiel's estimated net worth stood at US$27.5 billion, placing him among the 100 richest individuals in the world.

Born in Germany, Thiel was taken to the US by his parents when he was one year old. In 1971, his family moved to South Africa, then South West Africa, before moving back to the US in 1977. After graduating from Stanford University, Thiel worked as a clerk, a securities lawyer, a speechwriter, and a derivatives trader at Credit Suisse. He founded Thiel Capital Management in 1996 and co-founded PayPal with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek in 1998. He was PayPal's chief executive officer until its sale to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion.