Peter Thiel: PayPal Owner And Visionary Entrepreneur

Peter Thiel: PayPal Owner and Visionary Entrepreneur

Peter Thiel, an American entrepreneur and investor, was born on October 11, 1967 in Frankfurt, Germany. His father, Donald Thiel, worked as a chemical engineer, and the family moved to the United States when Peter was small. He grew up in Foster City, California, and developed an interest in mathematics and science from an early age.

Youth and Education

Thiel graduated from San Mateo High School in 1985 and then continued his education at Stanford University. At Stanford, he studied philosophy and economics, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989. Afterwards, he continued his education at Stanford Law School, where he graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree in 1992.

Early Career

After graduating from Stanford Law School, Thiel worked as an attorney at one of New York's leading law firms, Sullivan & Cromwell. However, he did not feel comfortable with his job as a lawyer and decided to leave the law firm after only working for one year.

In 1995, Thiel joined Credit Suisse, a large investment bank, as a financial analyst. He worked at Credit Suisse for two years before deciding to leave his job and start his own business.

PayPal

In 1998, Thiel founded a company called Confinity, which later changed its name to PayPal. PayPal is an online payment service that allows users to send and receive money online. The company quickly grew and became one of the largest online payment companies in the world.

In 2002, PayPal was acquired by eBay for approximately $1.5 billion. Thiel became one of PayPal's largest shareholders and made a profit of $55 million from the sale.

Palantir

In 2003, Thiel founded a company called Palantir, which focuses on developing software for data analysis. Palantir quickly grew and became one of the largest technology companies in the world.

In 2013, Palantir was acquired by a consortium of investors led by Thiel, for approximately $9 billion. Thiel became one of Palantir's largest shareholders and made a profit of $1.2 billion from the sale.

Career as an Investor

Thiel is also known as a successful investor. He has invested in some of the world's largest technology companies, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Zynga. He is also the co-founder of Founders Fund, an investment firm focused on technology companies.

In 2012, Thiel became one of the early investors in Stripe, an online payments company founded by Patrick and John Collison. He has also invested in several other technology companies, including Airbnb, Dropbox, and Spotify.

Political Views

Thiel is known as a staunch libertarian. He has supported several libertarian political candidates, including Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. He has also written several articles about his political views, including an article in The Wall Street Journal entitled "The Future of Libertarianism".

In 2016, Thiel co-founded Rebuild the Party, an organization focused on reforming the United States Republican Party. He also spoke about the importance of reimbursement reform among millennials.

Awards and Achievements

Thiel has received several awards and accomplishments throughout his career. He has been selected as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine in 2007. He has also been selected as one of the 50 most influential people in technology by Fortune Magazine in 2009.

In 2012, Thiel received an award from the National Venture Capital Association as one of the 10 most influential people in the United States venture capital industry.

Personal Life

Thiel married Matt Danzeisen, a social worker, in 2004. She has two children with her husband. Thiel is also known as a passionate art collector and has collected several rare works of art.

Conclusion

Peter Thiel is a successful entrepreneur, investor, and libertarian. He has founded several successful companies, including PayPal and Palantir, and has invested in some of the world's largest technology companies. He is also known as a supporter of reimbursement reform among millennials and has received several awards and achievements throughout his career.