Peter Thiel, the billionaire tech investor and political influencer, has sparked controversy with a series of off-the-record lectures in San Francisco about the antichrist. The four-part series, which concluded on Monday, saw Thiel speculating on the identity of the antichrist and warning of an impending Armageddon. Thiel, who describes himself as a 'small-o orthodox Christian', suggested that entities such as international agencies, environmentalism, and technological guardrails could hasten the antichrist's rise.
Thiel defined the antichrist as 'an evil king or tyrant or anti-messiah who appears in the end times'. During the lectures, he referenced biblical passages, recent history, and philosophy, and touched on conspiracy theories. He also discussed figures such as Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Bill Gates, whom he described as 'a very, very awful person'. The talks included references to video games, TV shows, and JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Tickets for the lectures cost $200 each and sold out within hours. Attendees were strictly forbidden from taking photos, videos, or audio recordings, and were told the events were off the record. At least one person who published notes had their ticket revoked. The Guardian obtained recordings from an anonymous attendee, and Thiel's spokesperson did not dispute their veracity.
Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, and an early investor in Facebook, has long been involved in conservative politics. He has close ties to Donald Trump and is credited with helping JD Vance become vice-president. His investment firm, Founders Fund, has backed companies such as SpaceX and OpenAI. Despite his influence, Thiel's theological musings have drawn criticism, particularly given his association with controversial thinkers such as Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt.
The lectures have raised questions about Thiel's influence and the intersection of technology, politics, and religion. While Thiel is known for his savvy investments and political manoeuvring, his focus on the antichrist has added a new dimension to his public persona. The series was inspired by English Catholic theologian John Henry Newman, with Thiel noting, 'Newman did four, so I'm doing four'.
