People close to Peter Thiel describe his worldview as a mix of extreme laissez faire and mainstream Republicanism. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images Billionaire Silicon Valley investor, Donald Trump delegate and Facebook board member Peter Thiel has made secrecy his brand. So when it emerged that Thiel appeared to be bankrolling former wrestler Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker , many people were surprised.
Yet by publicly outing him as gay in 2007, Gawker founder Nick Denton shattered the privacy of Thiel’s fiercely guarded personal life and techno-libertarian vision. And Thiel, it turns out, can hold a grudge. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel said to fund Hulk Hogan’s Gawker lawsuit In April 2016, a Florida judge awarded Hogan $140m in damages against Gawker , which had published a clip from a sex tape involving the wrestler, but the suit was tailored specifically to skirt Denton’spublishinginsurance. If triggered, the insurance could have meant a higher payout for Hogan but would have protected Denton from personal financial ruin. Hogan (and now it turns out Thiel) wanted it to be Denton himself who paid for the damages.
On Wednesday, Thiel’s spokesman said he would update journalists if the venture capitalist decided he wanted to discuss the Gawker matter. With the story in the public domain for 24 hours, his aides have neither confirmed nor denied the assertion, first reported by Forbes .
The episode marks the latest unexpected twist in Thiel’s political efforts, which are both representative of and at odds with Silicon Valley’s broader political awakening; people close to the billionaire describe his worldview as a mix of extreme laissez-faire and mainstream Republicanism. Thiel has backed a variety of causes, from Ron Paul’s and Trump’s presidential bids, to government-less forms of currency such as bitcoin and 3D-printed gun startups.
The mix of ideology was evident after his […]
