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September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Money & Work • Venture Capital

Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

Peter Thiel is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist best known for co-founding PayPal and Palantir Technologies, and for being Facebook’s first outside investor.

What it is

Peter Thiel is a prominent figure in Silicon Valley and U.S. politics. He co-founded PayPal in 1998 and Palantir Technologies in 2003, and is a founding partner of Founders Fund. He also made an early angel investment in Facebook in 2004, joining its board. As of December 2025, his estimated net worth was US$27.5 billion.

Key details

Thiel was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, in 1967, and later moved to the United States. He studied at Stanford University. He is openly gay and has described himself as such publicly, including at the Republican National Convention. Politically, he is described as conservative and libertarian-leaning.

Why it matters

Thiel’s influence spans technology, venture capital, and conservative activism. His early bets on PayPal and Facebook helped shape the modern internet economy. His political donations and public statements have made him a polarizing but significant voice in U.S. politics.

In short

  • Co-founded PayPal, Palantir, and Founders Fund.
  • First outside investor in Facebook; served on its board.
  • Estimated net worth of US$27.5 billion as of December 2025.
  • Openly gay conservative and libertarian-leaning activist.

Quick questions

Who is Peter Thiel?
Peter Thiel is a German-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist best known for co-founding PayPal and Palantir Technologies and for being Facebook’s first outside investor.
What is Peter Thiel's net worth?
His estimated net worth was US$27.5 billion as of December 2025, according to reporting cited in Wikipedia.
Is Peter Thiel gay?
Yes. Thiel has publicly identified as gay.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel
    Supports: Birth date, birthplace, roles, co-founded companies, Facebook investment, net worth estimate, and political description.
  2. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/money/Peter-Thiel
    Supports: Biography, occupation, and co-founding of PayPal and Palantir.
  3. Bloomberg — https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/peter-a-thiel/
    Supports: Founders Fund role and billionaire profile context.
  4. Wikiberal — https://www.wikiberal.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel
    Supports: Libertarian political orientation.
  5. The New Yorker — https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-silicon-valley/what-is-it-about-peter-thiel
    Supports: Political activity and public declaration of sexuality.
  6. Federalist Society — https://fedsoc.org/bio/peter-thiel
    Supports: Cofounding PayPal and Palantir, first outside Facebook investment, and Founders Fund role.