All articles tagged with #peter thiel
At the Aspen Ideas Festival, Peter Thiel warned of a Western AI race with China, accused Pope Leo XIV of unintentionally aiding Chinese interests by calling for global AI oversight, and predicted a democratic-socialist takeover of the Democratic Party. He defended Palantir’s independence from the US deep state and contrasted Western institutions with Europe’s bureaucracy as he discussed the future of AI and democracy.
The Daily Beast’s Jonathan Weber argues that Trump’s rise has pulled fringe tech figures—Thiel, Sacks, and Zuckerberg—into the corridors of power, turning their long-standing business and ideological ambitions into political influence. Thiel and Sacks have been early Trump allies, with Sacks serving as AI/Crypto adviser and Thiel a PayPal Mafia figure, while Zuckerberg has been labeled “MAGA Mark” as he shifts to align with Trump’s political clout. The piece frames this as a broader trend of tech oligarchs leveraging political power to benefit their influence and profits.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Sophia Bush pushed back on being tied to Peter Thiel by a leaked Dialog conference attendee list, stating they do not know Thiel and have never met him. Levitt confirmed attending two Dialog conferences but said he has no connection to Thiel, while Bush emphasized her focus on discussing tech-related issues and protecting rights, noting Thiel was not present at the events. Dialog is an invite-only tech forum founded by Thiel and others, and the leak also linked a broader cast of prominent figures to the conference.
Las Vegas will host the Enhanced Games, a controversial inaugural event where competitors may use performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision; backed by Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital and Peter Thiel, the venture also plans to sell enhancement products like peptides, despite criticism from WADA and the IOC. The event features Olympic medalists and aims to draw a large audience, with participants including Fred Kerley, James Magnussen, and Cody Miller.
The Hollywood Reporter revisits Gawker’s explosive run, detailing how Nick Denton built a fearless blog that helped shape modern online journalism, then watched it collapse after billionaire-backed lawsuits—most notably Peter Thiel’s funding of Hulk Hogan’s invasion-of-privacy case—led to bankruptcy and the sale of its assets; the piece also follows former staffers who parlayed that experience into Hollywood and major outlets, underscoring how billionaire influence and aggressive digital culture continue to shape today’s media landscape.
Gwen Stefani has been promoting the Catholic prayer app Hallow—backed by Peter Thiel and JD Vance—and discussed deepening her Catholic faith on a podcast, a move that has drawn backlash over the app’s anti-abortion messaging, its pay-to-pray model, and the platforming of controversial figures.
Peter Thiel disclosed in his fourth-quarter 2025 13F that he sold about $74 million of key tech holdings (including Tesla, Microsoft, and Apple) via Thiel Macro, signaling a cautious stance on near-term AI/tech momentum. The move has investors weighing whether to imitate billionaire trades, but the article cautions against blind emulation, noting that long-term prospects for quality AI names remain and that valuations have cooled, potentially creating new buying opportunities.
As part of preparing for the UK Online Safety Act, Discord is testing global age-verification via the Persona service, with some users already prompted ahead of a March rollout. Persona is backed by Founders Fund, whose ties to Peter Thiel and Palantir have drawn privacy concerns about surveillance and data use. Discord describes the test as limited and says any collected data will be stored for seven days, though the broader long‑term use remains unclear.
Peter Thiel's hedge fund Thiel Macro dumped Nvidia entirely and reduced its Tesla stake (76%), while initiating a position in Microsoft, signaling a shift from flashy AI bets to a diversified, enterprise-focused AI play. The move comes as Nvidia rode AI demand to new highs and Tesla faced questions over robotaxi viability, with Microsoft positioned as a safer, long-term AI monetization play through Copilot and enterprise software reach.
Peter Thiel donated $3 million to the California Business Roundtable to oppose the proposed 2026 billionaire wealth tax, his largest political gift in years, signaling an early and high-profile push against the measure that would impose a 5% tax on net worth above $1 billion. Gov. Gavin Newsom also opposes the idea, and opponents expect a major fundraising effort to gather signatures to place the measure on the ballot.
Peter Thiel donated $3 million to the California Business Roundtable PAC to oppose the proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act, a 5% one-time wealth tax on Californians worth more than $1 billion with a five-year payment window. The contribution signals how tech billionaires may mobilize to block the measure as signatures are gathered for the November ballot. Supporters say the tax would fund healthcare and education and affect about 200 people, while opponents, including Gov. Newsom, argue it would hurt California’s economy and drive investment out. Thiel has recently moved parts of his empire to Miami.
Tech billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel are backing a plan tied to Trump’s Greenland gambit to create deregulated 'freedom cities' in Greenland to access rare earth minerals, but Greenlandic sovereignty, Indigenous rights, and NATO/Danish concerns complicate the effort. Analysts say true security would come from partnerships and governance that respect self-determination rather than annexation or libertarian experiments.
Venture capitalist Peter Thiel donated $3 million to a California Business Roundtable political committee opposing a proposed wealth tax on billionaires, part of a broader push by Silicon Valley elites to defeat the measure ahead of the November ballot; the donation marks the first seven-figure contribution in the effort and more large gifts are expected.
Peter Thiel's recent stock purchases, including stakes in Microsoft and Apple, contrast with sales by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, highlighting differing investment strategies among billionaires with strong AI and tech interests.
Billionaire investor Peter Thiel sold significant Nvidia and Tesla holdings in Q3 and reinvested the proceeds into Apple and Microsoft, with a particular focus on Microsoft, which he appears to see as a promising AI and tech stock for 2026.