Early Life and Education
Peter Thiel was born in Germany and moved to the United States as a child. He studied at Stanford University, where he earned a degree in philosophy and later a law degree. His early interest in technology and finance shaped his later career.
PayPal and the PayPal Mafia
Thiel co-founded Confinity, which merged with X.com to form PayPal. As CEO, he helped scale the company, which was later acquired by eBay in 2002 for around $1.5 billion. Thiel personally profited from the sale and later invested in former PayPal colleagues, a group often called the PayPal Mafia.
Palantir and Venture Investing
Thiel co-founded Palantir Technologies, a data analytics and intelligence firm that became highly valuable. He also founded Founders Fund, a venture capital firm that invested in companies like Facebook. These roles generated significant returns and built his reputation as a tech investor.
Other Investments and Assets
Thiel made additional money through real estate, hedge fund management, and public market investments. He has also been involved in political and media ventures. Details on his portfolio can be found on Forbes.
