Peter Thiel
A Silicon Valley contrarian who turned skepticism of the status quo into a fortune by betting on disruptive ideas like PayPal and Facebook.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American entrepreneur and venture capitalist·Birthday: October 11·Generation X
Biography
Peter Thiel's journey from a philosophy student at Stanford to a defining force in modern capitalism is a story of intellectual rebellion. After co-founding PayPal and orchestrating its sale to eBay, he turned his attention and capital toward funding the future he envisioned. He placed an early, pivotal bet on Facebook, co-founded the data-mining firm Palantir, and launched the Founders Fund, a venture capital firm that explicitly sought 'flying cars' over incremental improvements. Thiel's influence extends beyond finance; he is a vocal critic of higher education, a libertarian thinker who penned 'Zero to One,' and a political figure whose support has been sought by candidates from Ron Paul to Donald Trump. His career is a testament to the power of a singular, often controversial, worldview applied to business and culture.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Peter was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the online payment system PayPal, revolutionizing digital finance in the early internet era.
- Made the first major outside investment in Facebook in 2004, a $500,000 stake that ballooned into billions.
- Co-founded Palantir Technologies, a secretive data analytics company used by government and financial institutions.
- Established the Founders Fund, a venture capital firm that backed SpaceX and other transformative technology companies.
- Authored the business manifesto 'Zero to One,' which argues for creating new markets rather than competing in existing ones.
Did You Know?
He is a ranked chess player and once won a national title for players under the age of 13.
Thiel holds dual citizenship in the United States and Germany.
He founded the Thiel Fellowship, which pays young people to drop out of college and pursue entrepreneurial projects.
He funded the lawsuit that bankrupted the media outlet Gawker.
Thiel studied philosophy as an undergraduate and later attended Stanford Law School.
“Competition is for losers.”
