Who Is Peter Thiel, The Secretive and Trump-Supporting Tech Mogul? | Amanpour and Company

[@ryanedwards7487]

People like Thiel need to be totally held to the same standard as the rest of us. We need some massive reforms.

[@txlish]

too late , that boat has sailed long long time ago.Billionaires made with your and mine taxes protection, now they have likes of jaredwifedoer instilled helping by stoking in their filled stomach millions of deplorables w/gun-depots in each of their garages - taste for #Allthingsdifferent blood what otherwise use to be selected doing by their poodles in govt, police, judiciary

[@truthaboveall7988]

we sold our souls the day we began 2 sell elections & policy - we also sold our souls when the left moved center right & we lost our balance that held the GOP accountable to their capitalist 1st mentality - w out a healthy society u fail as a Nation just like all other b4 us & after us will.

[@runoz2839]

Massive... But it won't happened money talk bullcrap walk

[@anachronistofer]

Welcome to the real world.

[@joyleenstrozier4295]

I did not know that Thiel was on the board of Facebook and was behind many of these rich and powerful companies especially in Silicon Valley.

[@phriedokra6158]

He got Zuckerberg the Facebook start up money from Deutchebanc which gave Putin his IN for bv the most oes, great hack 2016 and it present CIVIL war currently being egged online between the LEFT AND THE RIGHT...

[@phriedokra6158]

Musk, Theil...all UNDER PUTINS THUMB.

[@lindaodonnell1317]

@aha@aaaaaaa@@@@aaaa@@aaaaaaa@a@@æ

[@lindaodonnell1317]

1

[@runoz2839]

That's why I'm saying you stop using products because of who owns it. And realize they own some of that too and so on and so forth, they got their hands in everything. Every pot

[@bluegreenOD]

I have just finished reading this book and it is both fascinating and disturbing. A brilliant piece of research from the author and the links between Thiel and Hawley now make a lot of sense. A compelling account of this alt-right influencer.

[@Honkytonkified]

Me, too. I read Contrarian. How is it society can turn on the manipulations of flawed, greed driven personalities? If nature is self correcting, it also just as patient.

[@markdin2988]

Ridiculous

[@fayeb.5855]

Hawley?! Oh really dangerous men.

[@StationRussification]

Bigots love Bigots

[@daniellesnelleman2022]

Cheers. I’m in then. 📖 My neurodivergent mind is always up for a new deep dive. 🌊

[@paullee3009]

It was felt that his citizenship here in New Zealand was a bolt hole when the bullets start flying in the US It was so American of him to buy a citizenship of another country to jump ship effectively A guy not to be trusted

[@javajava8856]

He's anti-immigration, but he and his family are immigrants from Germany.

[@alchemist_one]

Good point. How DARE people flee when "the bullets start flying".

[@kirancromie1772]

Nothing like learning who the shadow figures pulling the strings from behind the curtain. The man may be money titan but his character is that of a mass murderer.

[@KB-hd4iz]

Now you're insulting mass murderers.

[@runoz2839]

FRFR... 🎯🎯🎯

[@Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy]

Would love to see thiel try to help people, it's a helluva a lot more difficult than whatever he's been doing.

[@Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy]

Without ruining many more people's lives.

[@caladr9367]

How tf has PayPal not helped people, do you know how many small businesses have benefitted? How about Venmo?

[@iPeeOnBabies]

@@caladr9367 its not fuckin worth it if the dude uses the riches from paypal to overthrow democracy ya donk

[@PakistanIcecream000]

@@caladr9367 Incorrect.

[@GreenOrchid9]

@@iPeeOnBabies some people can read doesn't mean they understand business... cite Elon keep your friends close and your enemies closer...Thiel then rescues Elon after coup🤔

[@claudiaraffo9340]

@ari always making the best out of the 18 minute interview format: TED-INTERVIEW: deep enough, allowing the guest to explain. Love his calm and the seniority...great value added! Thanks

[@canteluna]

Fascinating. This is long overdue. I've always thought Thiel was a rentseeking opportunist.

[@stevensica89]

An opportunist, plain and simple.

[@Snafuski]

"It's a case of oligarchic behavior..." The USA became an oligarchy officially when Trump was elected. The GOP drove this development since Reagan.

[@cf6713]

Lol wut? The US has been an oligarchy for a looooooong time

[@Honkytonkified]

@@cf6713 True. What's new is blinders cannot hide it anymore and the horses pulling the wagon are ready to bolt.

[@cf6713]

@@Honkytonkified Sure. But like a lap dog who just saw a squirrel for the first time. Bolting may seem very tempting, but isn’t the greatest idea when they don’t even know why they want the squirrel and wouldn’t even know what to do with the thing when they got it. Probably just rip it to shreds and go back looking for more puppy chow.

[@Drixidamus]

Are you serious? You going to put this on Trump? We had so many amazing candidates for democratic president did you see what happened in the 11th hour of the 2020 election, they even made Bernie bend the knee. To pretend that Trump is somehow the embodiment of everything that's wrong with America is just.... We're really fucked if this is what otherwise sensible human beings believe. Both sides are playing the same game.

[@paulkern7229]

@@Drixidamus - Both sides aren't "playing the same game". The Democrats, despite their faults, still believe in democracy. The Republicans are autocrats.

[@nedsantos1415]

Whatever or whoever made Facebook the way it is now cannot be "good" in my book.

[@john_mega]

The worst people always want immortality

[@idicula1979]

Its because they're mania knows no limit, and the pshcotic and rich always have a BFF in the Republicans, look no further then Donald Trump. Spare a dime for the rich man, shed a tear for the rich man America's neglected class.

[@loveblue304]

Of course, evil people loves to see eternal destructions, suffering and deaths.

[@gelgiz5039]

Nailed it😂

[@franciscogil6798]

Perhaps they really believe in hell?

[@xelakram]

He'll die just like everyone else. Perhaps sooner than he thinks! We are all mortal beings. We can't buck death. We will all leave this world when our time is up. They have been searching for the elixir of life since time immemorial and they haven't found it yet. Thiel and his clique won't find it either. Good luck to him if he does find the secret, but I somehow very much doubt that he will.

[@JohnSmith-hn6kv]

It would be fair to say that he's quite unpopular in New Zealand, where he bought citizenship.

[@lyndasutherland6165]

Indeed he is unpopular here.

[@mra4955]

speak for yourselves

[@JohnSmith-hn6kv]

@@mra4955 Nope, I'm extremely sure that Peter Thiel is unpopular in New Zealand.

[@mra4955]

@@JohnSmith-hn6kv speak for yourself

[@JohnSmith-hn6kv]

@@mra4955 I'm speaking for a lot of NZers.

[@piercebales9546]

The CIA can really give a fella a leg up in business. Thiel is a friend of the friends.

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

In actuality the CIA is acting like morons. You don’t buy you stuff from a private company. You make it yourself internally. This man goes crazy and moves to Russia and the CIA is screwed. This is what I don’t get of the USA. For us being so intelligent we somethings are stupid as fuck. National security means you try to get things internally or hire the brilliant minds but internal. You don’t make contracts with other companies. Only the military yes, but surveillance and information gathering no

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

At the very least. Get a company and by law block them from getting into us politics

[@charliebozzo9948]

Thiel looks like the sort of person that wouldn't mind profiting off war.

[@alienlizardqueen8748]

To those in the comments making fun of the author’s nervous speech, let’s see how you would hold it together being interviewed on a national news broadcast. Not that that would ever happen:)

[@marcorodrigues8303]

Chame os Generais que a Constituição and 🙂🤳#

[@optimalperformanceconsulta5813]

This gentleman may have a disability. Let’s all be intelligent and kind in all comments.

[@runoz2839]

His speech is alright...expressing himself very, well... 👍

[@triciaroy]

“Palantir”?? Someone unironically named a defense and datamining company after the seeing-eye crystal of Sauron? 🤯

[@taknothing4896]

That seems to be the idea. Watch everybody, all the time.

[@satchel888]

Yes many of the companies are based on Tolkien

[@orwellhuxley6301]

Simply stated Thiel is Ayn Rand incarnate.

[@Account.for.Comment]

I think the difference between Ayn Rand and guys like him are that his kinds knew that that they are only pretending. Most of the liberterian billionaires spends tens if not hundreds of millions in lobbying the government/politicians/media/think-tanks academic to work for them and save their behinds whenever the chance arrived.

[@flickwtchr]

So he has his own mass murderer to look up to?

[@orwellhuxley6301]

@@Account.for.Comment - right you are but he has learned much from Rand’s ideology. He’s a disciple.

[@cf6713]

@@Account.for.Comment Do you want to talk about libertarianism or build it. They ain’t the same thing.

[@llc1976]

yikes!

[@yarnpower]

If just one of these billionaires wanted to truly help humanity, they could turn any big problem around, be it Climate Change, world hunger, etc.

[@cobalt9484]

Lol no

[@12magus]

@@cobalt9484 LOL yeah.

[@hansolo5037]

You are certainly not in touch with reality. Turn any big problem around as just one person pffff...

[@purlingbeck9805]

The fact he wants to live forever says it all...

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

By the way id investigate his family. Most Nazis were not eliminated and his pro capitalism pro Trump ideology seems quite interesting.

[@zinjanthropus322]

Namibia

[@agny369]

the fact that people like joe manchin are like "wheres the money" - Right here Joe Manchin, right here.

[@inveele]

To those who comment poorly on the guest's speech: Good writers usually are not great speakers.

[@Honkytonkified]

I read the book. This writer has a deep well of information to draw on in a conversation. Buffering is understandable.

[@greenftechn]

It piqued my interest when I heard Thiel was a great fan of Rene Girard. I was horrified to learn that he basically was possessed by the dark side of Girard's theory.

[@musicg1696]

Greed is the greatest sin

[@unlockwithjsr]

Laziness is.

[@ficciones4737]

Envy is.

[@dylanreece7991]

He’s clearly a sociopath.

[@ryanedwards7487]

The only thing he ever did that was good was help Hulk Hogan rid the world of Gawker. I mean, he’s a piece of crap in many ways, but that doesn’t give a bunch of paparazzi cockroach-wannabes the right to out him.

[@markdin2988]

He's a visionary badass who is extremely intelligent. You should read some of his essays.

[@dylanreece7991]

@@markdin2988 I completely disagree. He is a Charlatan. He is an Ayn Rang protagonist come to life but even more pathetic than that sounds.

[@markdin2988]

@@dylanreece7991 how is he a charlatan? This makes zero sense

[@markdin2988]

@@dylanreece7991 he was a high ranked chess player at the age of 6, graduated valedictorian and is a double Stanford graduate. Peter thiel is a high achiever and is one of the few self made billionaires due to intellect. Of course luck and hard work are involved too

[@joelkavanagh1464]

,,, no fascist success without the financier enablers ...

[@Flannel535]

Exactly AT&T funded the fascist fake new operation OAN.

[@Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy]

Thiel is the worst person. Just singularly awful.

[@Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy]

It's much easier to be successful when you only care about yourself and don't care at all about negative consequences to other people. Like ailes, murdoch, and bannon, he spends a ton of privilege and money on making the world a worse place for as many people as possible.

[@Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy]

@@erdelegy I used to recommend Ayn Rand to assholes in high school as a passive aggressive way of calling them an asshole.

[@caladr9367]

Yet he’s so much more intelligent than you… have some respect

[@Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy]

@@caladr9367 Have you read the Fountainhead?

[@PakistanIcecream000]

Show me a billionaire who made their money in exchange for anything useful you own and I have a bridge to sell you.

[@PakistanIcecream000]

@@lukebaldis Fighting Wallstreet had absolutely nothing to do with the rationale of Peter Thiel for contributing towards the creation of PayPal. According to Elon Musk, Peter Thiel was a sociopath (psychopath).

[@xelakram]

Thiel thinks that billionaires should pay less in taxes, eh? So who does he want to pay more taxes, the poor? It sounds to me as if his politics is tailor-made to make himself and others like him even richer! How convenient!

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

He doesn’t believe in anything other than greed and power

[@xelakram]

@@ireneswackyjournals8810 Agreed! Money, money, money! More, more, more! Never enough for him, obviously. How dreadful!

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

@@xelakram oh and his own ego

[@xelakram]

@@ireneswackyjournals8810 That ego of his is enormous!

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

@@xelakram beyond. These type of goons think that they own the word. And the issue with them is that they screw countries up until the citizens do revolutions and eventually create in some instances; miserly for all.

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

This country continues to have the rubber barons on ego trips issue

[@edwardsmith9644]

Thiel’s chess rating was very close to Bobby Fischer’s at his peak. If anyone has evil genius potential, it’s Thiel.

[@cxar71]

In a word, he is EVIL.

[@WickBeavers]

He’s Stephen Miller’s brother?

[@sarazohar4923]

Man I love Thiel, a brilliant mastermind

[@cbbcbb6803]

Is his purpose the following? Get the money. Keep the money. Run everything. Own everybody.

[@user-pd4od7yz5l]

Vote Blue in 22!! Stop the BullShit!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Diane-xh7vl]

Anyone that is attached to the "trump" train is as criminal as" trump" is .... to think otherwise is just plain ignorance 🤑

[@iceescape]

Apparently he committed tax fraud when he bought a ton of Paypal shares for $2000 using his his Roth IRA (it was actually worth millions). But the IRS is so understaffed they didn't pursue it, but they totally should.

[@caladr9367]

Do you understand what $0.01 par value means lol

[@Gnofg]

@@dakkerrins6344 It may have been legal but a final ruling has not been established.

[@marcorodrigues8303]

Op isso e mais uma 🔧🛠️✂️ pra mim obrigado.#

[@alchemist_one]

It was NOT fraud. It was literally following the rules as written. He was a Stanford Law grad, invited to two interviews for Supreme Court clerkships before embarking on his startup journey and knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

[@Gnofg]

Here's to a short life for Peter.

[@cestwhat1317]

...and a long time in Hell

[@childrenslivesmatter3073]

🥂

[@Gnofg]

Silicon billionaires will be mad because they will be taxed. Grifters

[@troygaspard6732]

His generation's biggest Tool.

[@msimp0108]

“That’s what makes Thiel interesting…”. No, that’s what makes Thiel horrific!!!

[@willzsportscards]

Thiel started the Stanford Review? Sheeeeeeeeet. Used to read that and poke fun of it back in the day. Aman Verjee was their editor when I would look it over.

[@christianthompson7495]

sports teams, leagues and organizations have caps. tax laws and retirement funds needs caps that enforce having to pay taxes on hyper large funds.. no one needs a $1 billion retirement fund. in the case of retirements funds like roth ira’s, we need something like any ira that’s holding $500 million + will be taxed at the highest rate.. 40-45%. i know it’s more complicated than that.. but you get the basic gist.

[@eldersun9877]

All I heard is this guy is too powerful and runs within circles that have a who's who of EVIL . .... he is the WORST . He is smart , but pretty much Evil

[@mnemosynevermont5524]

y'know y'know y'know y'know y'know y'know y'know y'know y'know y'know

[@larnolarno6800]

Secretive? He seems pretty open about his views and objectives to me

[@Barry101er]

He is self-loathing. Explains his thinking and outlook.

[@brucegibbins3792]

And now gifted New Zealand citizenship because he is rich, doing a skillfull snow job promising great things for this insecure tiny tot country. A convenient bolt hole that offers Theil a place to operate after the the big bother, Theil helped create, kicks off. Paypal is useful though, so there is that, eh?

[@1LaOriental]

"I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible". P Theil. 2009

[@javajava8856]

'Freedom', in the libertarian sense, borders on the sociopathic. If society says you can't eat someone's liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti, the sociopath will say that society is impinging on his 'freedom'. Ironically, the sociopath's exercising of their 'freedom' typically means slavery and oppression of large swathes of the population.

[@dakperera4444]

The author misrepresented Thiel's view on monopolies. It can basically be summed up by this quote by Thiel: "Don't bother starting the 10,000th restaurant in Manhattan. Find something to do that if you don't do it, it won't get done." It's meant as advice to entrepreneurs to be original, hence having a monopoly. This sentiment is present in many video's on youtube with Peter Thiel, and his book Zero to One, which I would assume the author has read. Chafkin's comment that many of Thiel's silicon valley billionaire friends also share his political views is also false. Most political donations from Silicon Valley go to the democratic party, for example look up his friend Reid Hoffman, or the recent reelection of Gavin Newsom. Peter Thiel is an outlier in this regard. I'm not knowledgable about the other issues raised but this alone shows up this writer and his hit piece book. Says a lot about this channel too.

[@pacotaco5526]

😆

[@starcrib]

Get over it. Start your own broadcasting business in that case. 🍼

[@rossr6616]

I would confirm on the Hoffman comment, in at least one instance

[@willardchi2571]

Realize how Thiel thinks: he's on a mission to crush what you want and what you care about simply because he disapproves. That is the makings of a fascist tyrant.

[@Noms_Chompsky]

Oh oh oh I know this one; who is Peter Thief: garbage

[@anwiycti1585]

Thief and kaifu Lee have one thing in common, missing soul.

[@lukewilliams9428]

Weird but this guy that wrote the bio sounds a bit like Thiel at times

[@aadilansari5997]

Good observation.....

[@Josefrainer]

Nearly everyone maligning Thiel in the comments. All right, that’s what viewers think. What I see is a fascinating person of power who is boggling my mind. And he obviously is such an enigmatic character to the author of the book that he felt inspired to invest such a lot of work in its writing. This is a journalist of a rare kind who in this interview abstains from any form of judgement of his subject. I wish him success in his further cv.

[@PakistanIcecream000]

The book author writes a book about Peter Thiel - not because either of them are good - but just to support the toxic fiction that billionaires are remarkable. If someone writes a book about Jeffrey Dahmer, does that make the latter a fascinating person?

[@boathemian7694]

Listen to the Theil episode on Behind the Bastards.

[@emmaevans7011]

These folks are amoral. Yuk!

[@theresachiorazzi4571]

This is funny. When I saw the name Peter theil that was my fathers name I got the chills my dad passed away in the year 2000 myself I am 85yrs old we are German decent also Wow good luck mr theil. What a coincidence not a very common name.

[@kathleenhandron3092]

Money really is the root of all evil when combined with mega wealth and sociopathy.

[@kinngrimm]

If people like Thiel would become immortal, two revolutions would be the logical consequence. First those immortals becoming the new god kings and then everyone else not getting in on the deal trying to kill them.

[@runoz2839]

It would eventually turn into a battle among themselves...cuz they want to always be on top... That's why he has his hands in so many pots so he can try to stay on top. But to win someone has to lose...

[@PakistanIcecream000]

If most people were good, which unfortunately they are not, billionaires would be afraid of their lives.

[@debbycastellitto6659]

I was worried about the Koch family, the Mercer’s and Rupert Murdoch. This guy is much scarier because he knows how to use the internet so much better. The internet doesn’t have many laws. Power to the People, we have to expose them as the kings and queens they long to be.

[@geinikan1kan]

We thought the techies were cute digital teddy bears, turned out they were digital aristocrats taking territory.

[@satchel888]

What are the senate races he referred to?

[@JayG999]

Tribe vibes… 🤩 ☝️

[@joemalonski5004]

About Time some body shed some light on this closeted Character. Controls Palantir and numerous government contracts.

[@Madronaxyz]

The volume is the volume is so low on this video that I cannot understand what is being said. I don't have trouble with most of your videos on Amanpoor and company.

[@joshuamowdy9230]

Hello. Great timing. It's time Peters buisness is put out there for all. Never Mercer. You were told. Good luck.

[@joshuamowdy9230]

Post script. Time . .2 .go. .. Tou. . Work

[@iPeeOnBabies]

@@joshuamowdy9230 what is the work?

[@rachaelwalrath6077]

Planatir became successful because he was an advisor to Trump and got his people installed in government to get his company the contracts.

[@caladr9367]

Or because they hire the best software engineers in the world

[@flickwtchr]

Perfect example that that libertarians, right wingers, GOP, billionaires aren't opposed to "big government". They simply want to be that themselves. They want ALL levers of power, and wealth. After all, the "little people" can all be "entrepreneurs", and those that do not? Well they belong in the gutter. Dangerous fucks these libertarian billionaires.

[@rachaelwalrath6077]

@@flickwtchr pretty much. They lie only want power and money

[@cf6713]

@@flickwtchr as apposed to who?

[@rachaelwalrath6077]

@Barry David Gibbons actually that is not correct. At least according to the article I read in Business weekly.

[@juditrotter5176]

Where did he grow up etc?

[@snakemongoosepanther]

so go ahead and add me to the not-a-fan-of-peter-thiel list

[@caladr9367]

Think he cares? His iq and net worth are far higher than yours 😂

[@Other3.5]

Synonym for Libertarian: parasite Also, free rider on the backs of the middle class 12 year old boys run Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and the entire finance industry. “Hey, this is so cool. Mom, clean this mess that I made up for me, I’m playing.”

[@blueberry-ri7eb]

Not paying his fair share of taxes by manipulating Roth says all I need to know.

[@alchemist_one]

It's not unfair at all to read the rules and follow them to their letter. Nobody just gives extra money as a donation. The unfair thing is that the tax laws are so complex that geniuses, like Thiel, have such an advantage. Make the rules simple and then loopholes and advantages for the savvy evaporate.

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

Want's to life forever that''s bin done before how did work for those guys before?

[@anachronistofer]

There is no immortality. Only impermanence lasts.

[@frostydei5012]

No. Corruption, rent seeking, and rapacious political rigging are not "savvy" or "3D chess playing". That billionaire should be in prison.

[@marblegarden8456]

Max Chafkin is HOT AF! Daaaaamn!

[@gregorchard7881]

If this is the tekky providing the Mobster Lobster with his "social platforms", there is nothing to worry about...

[@mh6189]

Another Bond villain

[@akssmith3126]

There are countries where it would be impossible to found companies such as Paypa;l etc. I don't know how you could protect your intellectual property along the way. There is no freedom of the internet and no private spaces. Everything is hacked and you would spend more time fighting off governmental and nom governmental hacker than developing product.

[@highestgood5169]

I know he scouts high schools and picks the brightest and best and take them under his wing. He even shops for some at colleges. I think he has made quite a few young people very rich, via the Peter Thiel Foundation.

[@musicg1696]

Right, Lol. Creepin'

[@Gnofg]

In Rome they were know as little puer's

[@rossr6616]

his “wing” ;)

[@Caleb-r3x]

Parasitic rich

[@dwightmcfee9521]

Very dangerous man.

[@dividedconquered3784]

Bunch of CREEPS!😖

[@37Dionysos]

PayPal SUCKS, Facebook SUCKS, a billionaire with no achievements!

[@GreenOrchid9]

Acceptable reach of government... philosophy of disruption...🤔🤔😷 accidentally run afoul of the LAW🤔🙄😷

[@johns.7297]

The guest might benefit from reading the late George Williams' article on the Evolution of Senescence. W're not going to live forever.

[@randyscrafts8575]

I think we need to put these rich Trump supporters out of business.

[@patfrench8046]

How?

[@sharonjoan9997]

Thank you for this info. The rich get over royally As they want to become Royals

[@janicechildress2952]

Thanks for illustrating HOW wall street and wall street intertwine. Austin 💚 Elon

[@baritonewoman2540]

Peter Thiel - POW = Pr**k On Wheels

[@Cejpat]

Mafia-Leech-Trump's Firehose. The title of Max Chafkin's book should have been "Mafia-Leech-Trump's Firehose" #kkkonservatives4hate

[@alirE2904]

He believes in enriching the rich.

[@ryangibson2831]

Sorry but a corporate structures control is based on owenership. The shareholdres elect the directors who elect the officers. Read Facebook's bylaws.

[@authentickidd8268]

He sounds demomic!!!

[@bl5752]

The "Roman Empire" analogy is inaccurate. The Roman Empire did not grow as quickly as possible.

[@nancyfahey7518]

Promise us you won't give any to trump.

[@K_Super999]

*why doesn't the author talk about Peter Theil and David sacks apologies for the book they wrote for their r@cist views?. They're after all both from apartheid South Africa.*

[@laara1426]

Stop thinking dude. Trump is not a Nationalist. What he says and what he does are two different things. The tech giants, the Silicon Valley elitists call themselves “ disrupters “. Ya might want to look into the disrupter mindset. Then ponder that for awhile .