- Peter Thiel, tech billionaire and conservative kingmaker, has amassed influence all over Washington.
- He’s close to powerful elected and un-elected political players, like JD Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy.
- Palantir, a company Thiel co-founded, counts the US government as its biggest client.
In August 2021, a mystery buyer purchased a 10,000-square-foot home in Washington, DC. They made the $13 million purchase through Salona Village Holdings LLC, shielding their identity.
That mystery buyer was billionaire Peter Thiel, whose sprawling influence in Washington has grown in recent years. Between mentoring Vice President-elect JD Vance since his time at Yale Law School to running companies with millions in government contracts, Thiel has entrenched himself in the DC world in ways both seen and subtle.
Worth $14.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, the 57-year-old PayPal confounder was one of the first Silicon Valley leaders to espouse conservative views.
Here’s a guide to his influence in Washington, which stretches far beyond the walls of his mansion.
A representative for Thiel did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
