This article is an opinion piece whose contents represent the standpoint of its author and not UPF Lund or The Perspective’s editorial board.
Peter Thiel has quietly become one of the most influential figures in American politics, yet his power often goes unnoticed. Through his investments, political donations, and deep ties to both U.S. President Trump and Vice President Vance, Thiel has been shaping the movement behind Trumpism- and his stances on democracy, technology, and elitism threaten American prosperity.
Thiel’s origin story is not so different from other Silicon Valley tech billionaires. He made a name for himself through co-founding PayPal, which eBay acquired for $1.5 billion back in 2002. He was also Facebook’s first outside investor, where his $500,000 investment turned into $400 million within a decade. His portfolio now consists of a combination of venture capital firms and data companies, composing a grand net worth of over $26 billion.
However, Thiel’s ideology is quite different from much of the rest of Silicon Valley. Thiel is a hardcore libertarian who encourages deregulation and denounces state limitations. He wants to use technology as an “escape from politics in all its forms” through ventures like a virtual Internet world, space commercialization, and floating societies in international waters. He believes in “freedom from” government as opposed to “freedom to” democracy.
Moreover, he believes in allowing a small group of individuals to act as rulers (likely including himself) to increase efficiency and achieve greater progress. His version of authoritarianism rejects the idea of individual equality, emphasizing “order over freedom” and “hierarchy over equality.” His writings instead advocate for tech elites and “founders” to lead society. He’s now been able to witness his vision for oligarchy materialize through Trump’s close relationship with the billionaire class.
Despite Thiel’s libertarian stance, he has been influential in both of Trump’s presidential terms (including a $1 million donation to Trump’s 2016 campaign). It seems that Thiel has learned rather than escaping politics, he must influence its outcomes to advance his agenda. Thiel has helped select individuals for Trump’s advisory team, such as David Sacks, Thiel’s fellow co-founder of PayPal and friend from Stanford, who now advises the President on AI, cryptocurrency, and technology. Thiel and Sacks share an aversion to tech regulation, which is unsurprisingly reflected in Trump’s latest AI policy.
The financial benefits of Thiel and Trump’s relationship are significant. Thiel’s company, Palantir, is a powerful data-mining software company that uses AI to analyze personal data. In Trump’s second term alone, Palantir has profited by hundreds of millions through government contracts. This merging of personal loyalty and political power raises questions about how much of America’s future policy will be governed by a small, like-minded group of billionaires with shared interests.
Beyond monetary gain, Palantir is embedded in government affairs in a dangerous way. Palantir is used to uncover criminal networks and reduce fraud, and while this sounds like a heroic purpose, the technology can also be used to identify and surveil individuals. The last thing that Americans should have to worry about right now is the creation of a surveillance state, especially as Trump relentlessly attacks those who disagree with him.
Additionally, Trump recently signed an executive order instructing federal departments to share data across agencies using Palantir software, essentially creating a “super-database” of American’s private data. Palantir is also collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify and track migrants. Critics warn this data collection could easily become abused.
Thiel’s influence extends even deeper through his protege, Vice President J.D. Vance. Thiel and Vance met in 2011 when Vance was still in law school, and Thiel quickly became his mentor. Vance briefly worked for Thiel at Mithril Capital, and when Vance decided to run for Senate, Thiel donated $15 million to his campaign. Later, in 2021, Thiel introduced Vance to Trump at Mar-a-Lago and reportedly encouraged Trump to put Vance’s name on the ballot. Vance owes a lot to Thiel, and we should all take note that he has the ability to pull the strings of a powerful man in Washington.
As Thiel’s influence and companies become more ingrained in government affairs, the divide between private ideology and public policy is being pushed aside. Thiel’s vision of the future is one where technology replaces politics, efficiency trumps accountability, and billionaires replace democratically elected representatives.
For a democracy already weakened by inequality and disinformation, that vision should be a wake-up call. Thiel’s open skepticism toward democracy, combined with his power over data systems and political networks, makes his influence extremely dangerous.
Thiel is not just another billionaire who voices his political opinions. He is actively trying to rework the wiring of American political infrastructure. Unless his influence is checked, Thiel will topple the very values that make America great.
By Kendyl Nate
November 11, 2025
