Peter Thiel, the tech oligarch who believes in the Antichrist

Peter Thiel’s influence extends from Silicon Valley into US politics and global security. The PayPal co-founder secretly funded Hulk Hogan’s successful lawsuit against Gawker, then recognized Donald Trump’s electoral prospects early and backed him publicly. Thiel also helped propel J. D. Vance, who worked at one of his investment funds, and has supported other conservative politicians. His investments have financed companies in artificial intelligence, defense and surveillance, while Palantir - founded with CIA backing - now supplies data-analysis tools to governments worldwide. He champions technological nationalism, opposes taxes and regulation, and is exploring private settlements governed outside conventional state systems, including in Honduras and Argentina.

Thiel’s politics draw on libertarianism and the writings of René Girard, Carl Schmitt and Leo Strauss. He treats social conflict as a danger requiring restraint by an elite, rejects liberal democracy, and casts regulation of technology as part of a religious struggle involving the Antichrist. Critics say this rhetoric turns opponents - including climate activist Greta Thunberg and AI skeptics - into existential enemies, while disguising an authoritarian vision. His career also exposes a contradiction: he condemns government authority yet builds wealth through public contracts and surveillance work. From PayPal’s regulatory boundary-pushing to his bestselling startup manifesto, Thiel presents entrepreneurs as world-changing leaders and rule-breaking as a virtue. His ideas may have limited philosophical reach, but his money, companies and political protégés give them substantial practical force.