Peter Thiel is a technology entrepreneur and investor best known as a co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund. He has served as Palantir’s chairman since its founding and has backed category-defining technology companies including Facebook, Airbnb, SpaceX, LinkedIn, and Stripe. Earlier in his career, Thiel co-founded Confinity/PayPal, led PayPal as CEO and chairman through its sale to eBay, founded Clarium Capital, and later established Founders Fund.
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Encyclopedia BritannicaPeter Thiel | Biography & Facts | Britannica MoneyPeter Thiel is a German American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and business executive who helped found...
TechCrunchPeter Thiel Is Returning To Disrupt SF | TechCrunchWe’re thrilled to announce that legendary founder and investor Peter Thiel will be joining us on stage at Disrupt SF 2014. From PayPal to Founders Fund, Thiel has set the bar for success in Silicon Valley, and this will be the second time he's spoken at our conference. We're glad he's back. Thiel made the first outside investment in Facebook in 2004, and was an early investor in LinkedIn in 2003. Through a combination of his personal financing and the Founders Fund, he’s also helped fund the likes of SpaceX, Yelp, RoboteX, Quora and Spotify.
PalantirPalantirWe build software that empowers organizations to effectively integrate their data, decisions, and operations.
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionPalantir Technologies 2025 Proxy StatementSupports Peter Thiel’s Palantir role as co-founder and chairman and director since 2003.
ProxyVote / Palantir TechnologiesPalantir Technologies 2025 proxy materials PDFSupports that Thiel is a Palantir co-founder and has served as chairman of the board since 2003.
CrunchbasePeter Thiel Crunchbase profileSupports public investor profile and investment activity summary.
Founders FundFounders FundFounders Fund is a San Francisco based venture capital firm investing in companies building revolutionary technologies.
- Social mediaFacebookSocial networking company; Thiel was the first outside investor in 2004 and served on Facebook’s board.
- Professional networkLinkedInProfessional networking platform; TechCrunch reports Thiel was an early investor in 2003.
- Space technologySpaceXSpace technology company backed through Thiel’s personal financing and Founders Fund, according to TechCrunch.
- Travel marketplaceAirbnbMarketplace for short-term stays and experiences; Founders Fund invested, and TechCrunch reported Thiel and Founders Fund led Airbnb’s 2012 round.
- Local marketplaceYelpLocal business reviews platform; TechCrunch reports Thiel helped fund Yelp through personal financing and Founders Fund.
Thiel’s background in payments fraud, national-security-oriented data infrastructure, venture investing, and company formation closely matches Palantir’s market: complex, high-stakes software for government and commercial institutions. His PayPal anti-fraud experience and long-term investing thesis helped shape Palantir’s early focus on data analysis, fraud detection, and operational decision support.