Peter Andreas Thiel is a German-American billionaire entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist, renowned for his pivotal role in shaping Silicon Valley's technological and ideological landscape. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, on October 11, 1967, Thiel immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Foster City, California. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Stanford University in 1989 and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1992. Initially working as a derivatives trader at Credit Suisse and a securities lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, Thiel co-founded PayPal in 1998, serving as its CEO until its $1.5 billion sale to eBay in 2002. This success propelled him into venture capital, where he became the first outside investor in Facebook (now Meta) in 2004, investing $500,000 for a 10.2% stake, and co-founded Founders Fund in 2005. Thiel also co-founded and established Palantir Technologies in 2003, a data analytics firm with significant government contracts, and chairs the company, which has drawn controversy for its surveillance capabilities used by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Thiel's influence extends beyond business into politics, philanthropy through the Thiel Foundation, and intellectual circles, where he is known for his contrarian views on technology, society, and governance. He advocates for libertarian ideals, technological accelerationism, and critiques of higher education and 'woke' culture. He is known for funding conservative causes, having endorsed and financially supported Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, contributing $1 million in 2016 and donating over $1.25 million in total, and has been a key figure in the 'New Right' movement, funding candidates like J.D. Vance and Blake Masters. He is a major Republican donor with ties to the Trump administration.

Thiel's personal life includes a 2017 marriage to Matt Danzeisen, a former Goldman Sachs banker, and he identifies as gay. His net worth, estimated at $11.4 billion as of 2024 by Forbes, stems primarily from stakes in PayPal, Facebook (Meta), Palantir, and other investments. Controversies surround Thiel, including his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, whom he met in 2014 and described positively despite Epstein's crimes, and who was a significant investor in Thiel's Valar Ventures; his secret funding of Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker Media in 2016, resulting in the outlet's bankruptcy after a $140 million settlement, seen by critics as a vendetta against the site's reporting on his sexuality; and Palantir's role in controversial surveillance programs, including ICE deportations and predictive policing, leading to accusations of enabling authoritarianism. Thiel has also been criticized for his views on monopolies, climate change skepticism, and support for seasteading and longevity research through initiatives like the Thiel Fellowship, which encourages young entrepreneurs to skip college. He has been described as a key architect of modern Silicon Valley's ethos and remains a polarizing figure due to his investments, political activities and influence, philosophical writings, and his connection to the Jeffrey Epstein case as referenced in Epstein-related documents.