Tech evangelist. Libertarian dreamer. Republican megadonor. Peter Thiel is many things. As Atlantic staff writer Barton Gellman puts it in his new profile of Thiel, he is “the purest distillation of Silicon Valley’s reigning ethos.”
Across several interviews, Gellman learned what’s driven Thiel, even through what he sees as his many disappointments. There a ... Show More
Oct 22
Maria Bamford Is Tough as Nails
Hanna Rosin interviews the comedian Maria Bamford, the subject of the new documentary “Paralyzed by Hope,” directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley. Bamford explains the relationship between her OCD and her comedy. She talks about why she doesn’t do political comedy, and why she ... Show More
31m 15s
Dec 2024
Peter Thiel on Trump, Musk, Technology and God
It’s fair to say that putting Peter Thiel in a box would be pretty much impossible. He’s a gay, christian billionaire with a flair for business, and the combination of these traits is seldom seen. His personality and unique path to success gives him an outside perspective on the ... Show More
1h 30m
Jun 2025
A Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel
<p>The billionaire Peter Thiel is unimpressed with our pace of innovation. In this episode, he critiques artificial intelligence, longevity science and space travel — and warns that our lack of progress could lead to catastrophic outcomes, including the emergence of the Antichris ... Show More
1 h
Jul 2024
"The Real Risk is Totalitarian World Government" - Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he was the first outside investor in Facebook. As of July 2024, Thiel had an estimated net worth of $11.2 billion. Through the Thiel F ... Show More
1h 8m
Jul 2025
Interesting Times: A Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel
<p>This week, we’re bringing you a recent interview from “Interesting Times with Ross Douthat,” one of The New York Times’s newest podcasts. In this episode, Ross sits down with Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and one of the most contrarian thinkers in tech. To ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2023
Peter Thiel // The Diversity Myth, 30 Years Later
Nearly 30 years after publishing “The Diversity Myth,” Peter Thiel sits down with Mike Solana to unpack what the book got right and wrong. Thiel argues that social distractions have stunted scientific progress, slowed economic growth and weakened our geopolitical standing. How di ... Show More
1h 8m
Jan 2021
Peter Thiel: "It's Up to Us to Make the Future Better"
In this episode, Andrew and Navin speak with Silicon Valley icon, Peter Thiel. They dive deep into the impact of Covid-19, the US rivalry with China, and the effects of artificial intelligence on the global economy. Peter Thiel is the co-founder of PayPal, made the first outside ... Show More
28m 38s