How Did Peter Thiel Make His Money?

Peter Thiel’s Profile Summary

Company	Clarium Capital
Position	Founder and portfolio manager of Clarium Capital, a global macro hedge fund he established in 2002.
Source of wealth	Venture capital (Facebook, Palantir, Founders Fund), management and performance fees from Clarium Capital's investment strategies, PayPal's sale to eBay, personal investments in various tech startups.
Also known as	Author, philanthropist, political activist.
Age	57
Education	Stanford University - Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Stanford Law School - J.D.
Citizenship	United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California, USA
Family	Peter Thiel is married to Matt Danzeisen, and they have a daughter.
Website, Social Media	https://www.clarium.com/

Peter Thiel’s biography

eter Thiel, born on October 11, 1967, in Frankfurt, Germany, is a prominent entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and hedge fund manager. He is best known for co-founding PayPal in 1998 and Palantir Technologies in 2004. Thiel’s career began after studying at Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and later a J.D. from Stanford Law School. After working as a securities lawyer and derivatives trader, Thiel shifted towards venture capital, becoming one of the first outside investors in Facebook. In 2002, he founded Clarium Capital, a global macro hedge fund, which became highly successful but later faced challenges following the 2008 financial crisis. In addition to his business ventures, Thiel is known for his political and philosophical ideas, particularly advocating for libertarianism and technological innovation. He has been involved in various philanthropic efforts, including the Thiel Fellowship, which encourages young entrepreneurs to skip college and pursue startups. Thiel is also the author of Zero to One, a best-selling book on startups and business strategy.

How did Peter Thiel make money?
Peter Thiel is an American billionaire and entrepreneur who rose to fame as the co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook. His business journey began in 1998, when he co-founded Confinity with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek, which later transformed into PayPal. In 2002, PayPal became a leader in online payments and was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion. The deal provided Thiel with significant capital and allowed him to focus on new projects.

A key milestone in Thiel’s career was his investment in Facebook in 2004. He invested $500,000 in the company early on, gaining a significant stake that would later earn him billions of dollars. In addition to Facebook, he also founded Palantir Technologies, a company that specializes in big data analytics. Palantir plays a major role in working with government and corporate clients, including government agencies and financial institutions.

The bulk of Peter Thiel’s income comes from his stakes in technology companies, including Palantir and Facebook. He also founded the venture capital firm Founders Fund, which has invested in successful startups such as SpaceX, Airbnb, and Stripe.

Peter Thiel's net worth is estimated at over $7 billion. His capitalization is based on successful investments and the creation of companies that continue to set trends in the tech industry.
What is Peter Thiel net worth?

As of 2025, Peter Thiel’s net worth is estimated to be $21.1B.

What is Peter Thiel also known as?

Peter Thiel is also widely recognized as the author of Zero to One, a highly influential book on startups and business innovation, which became a bestseller. He is a philanthropist through the Thiel Foundation, supporting various causes, including the Thiel Fellowship, which encourages young innovators to pursue their ideas without attending college. Additionally, Thiel is known for his political activism, particularly his support for libertarian causes and his role as a significant backer of conservative political figures in the United States.

Prominent achievements of Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel co-founded PayPal, which was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion, he was an early investor in Facebook, turning an initial $500,000 investment into over $1 billion, author of the best-selling book Zero to One, recipient of the Herman Lay Award for Entrepreneurship, named to Forbes' list of billionaires multiple times, Palantir Technologies, which he co-founded, has become a major player in big data and analytics, Clarium Capital at its peak managed over $8 billion in assets.

What are Peter Thiel’s key insights?

Peter Thiel’s business philosophy centers around contrarian thinking, the importance of monopolistic businesses, and focusing on technological innovation that creates radical change rather than incremental progress. He believes in the idea of "going from zero to one," meaning creating new things that have never existed before rather than merely improving existing ideas. Thiel also values long-term thinking, questioning conventional wisdom, and supporting entrepreneurs who pursue bold, risk-taking ventures.

Peter Thiel’s personal life

Peter Thiel married his long-time partner Matt Danzeisen in 2017. Danzeisen is an investor and currently works at Thiel Capital. The couple welcomed a daughter, though further details about their child and family life are kept private due to Thiel’s preference for maintaining personal privacy.

Useful insights

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