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Peter Thiel (born October 11, 1967) is an influential American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist, best known as a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies. Raised in Frankfurt, Germany, and later moving to the United States, Thiel graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in philosophy and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. He began his career as a securities lawyer before venturing into the tech industry.

Thiel gained prominence as the CEO of PayPal, which he co-founded in 1998 and sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. He was also the first outside investor in Facebook, purchasing a 10.2% stake for $500,000 in 2004, which he later sold for over $1 billion. In addition to founding Clarium Capital and the venture capital firm Founders Fund, Thiel has invested in numerous successful startups, including SpaceX and Airbnb.

A vocal libertarian and conservative, Thiel has been a significant figure in Silicon Valley’s political landscape, supporting various right-wing causes and candidates. He is known for his contrarian views on technology and society, often advocating for radical changes in governance and economic policy. Thiel has authored several books, including Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (2014), which emphasizes innovation and entrepreneurship.