Peter Thiel and the Silicon Valley Right's Political Shift — A 15-Year Plan Toward Rebuilding the Western Order

Legendary Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel has once again made a significant impact on the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Although he was absent this time, his influence was undoubtedly shaping the outcome of the election. From the tech industry to the core of politics—Peter Thiel’s long-term strategy has begun to rewrite the very power structure of the United States.

Political Ambitions Starting from Silicon Valley — Technology as Ideology

Peter Thiel is not just a venture capitalist. As a co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, Palantir, and others, he has built immense wealth. He has also been active as a strategic investor linking technology and politics.

His ideological background is complex. Rooted in libertarianism, neoconservatism, and the theories of philosophers René Girard and Leo Strauss, Thiel sees technological innovation not merely as economic gain but as a means to defend Western civilization.

During his time at Stanford University, Thiel founded the Stanford Review, establishing a right-wing stronghold amid the university’s leftward shift. The network cultivated during this period later became known as the “PayPal Mafia.” Through this network, Thiel helped establish a new conservative ideological foundation within Silicon Valley.

In 1995, Thiel and colleagues co-authored “Myth of Diversity: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Intolerance at Stanford University.” They argued that ideology takes precedence over products and money. This philosophy has become the core principle guiding all his subsequent investment decisions.

From PayPal to Accelerativism — Thiel’s Investment Philosophy

In 1998, Confinity was founded. Thiel discussed digital currencies with Max Levchin and focused on internet-based methods to evade regulation. At that time, the concept of digital currency was pioneering, and Thiel himself saw its potential.

In 1999, PayPal officially launched. Its system allowed free transfers via email without complex verification processes, symbolizing freedom for Americans and becoming essential for maintaining value worldwide.

By 2002, at age 35, Thiel’s net worth had reached $55 million when PayPal was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion. Having gained financial freedom, he began exerting real influence behind the scenes in Silicon Valley.

In 2003, Thiel founded Palantir. This platform, which uses big data to track potential terrorists, became a major client for the CIA and security agencies. In 2004, he invested $500,000 in Facebook, acquiring 10.2% of its shares. Given Facebook’s valuation at the time, this investment proved Thiel to be a practical investor rather than just a theorist.

In 2005, the Founders Fund was established, solidifying Thiel’s dominance in venture capital. Its goal was not merely profit but the creation of technologies shaping the future of human civilization, such as AI, cryptocurrencies, and hard tech.

Thiel himself has said that people wanted flying cars, but what they got was 140 characters. This critique pointed out the false innovation of Silicon Valley and hinted at the true direction of technological progress he seeks.

The 2024 Election and Penetration into Washington — Tech Entrepreneurs Reshaping Power Structures

On September 4, 2024, at the White House Tech Conference, major Silicon Valley figures sat around a roundtable. Figma CEO, Meta CEO Zuckerberg, and newly appointed government crypto czar David Sacks—all had direct or indirect ties to Thiel.

During this period, Thiel supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, just as he did in 2016. Even after Trump’s defeat in 2020, Thiel continued to invest in him, and in 2022, he withdrew from Meta’s board to maintain his political stance.

At the same time, J.D. Vance was rising as a young politician from Silicon Valley. Thiel supported Vance through the Thiel Fellowship and eventually recommended him as Trump’s vice-presidential candidate. This network formation was part of Thiel’s long-term plan spanning over 15 years.

Before the 2024 election, Microsoft reversed its policies on LGBT issues, and Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, demanded neutrality from the editorial staff. Zuckerberg also expressed condolences, reflecting a shift in the political stance of tech companies.

This shift is not merely temporary. It signifies that West Coast tech entrepreneurs are beginning to infiltrate the power structure of Washington on the East Coast. Practitioners in crypto assets, fintech, and AI are starting to replace traditional Wall Street elites.

Rational Planning to Save Western Civilization — A Return to Ancient Greece

Thiel’s ideological foundation extends beyond mere libertarianism. Influenced by Leo Strauss’s ancient Greek theories, he aims to revive Western civilization.

Drawing from Strauss’s ideas, Thiel envisions governance by a “philosopher-king.” Instead of democracy or tyranny, he advocates for a city-state-like governance led by knowledgeable and virtuous leaders. Elements such as homosexuality, citizenship, and slavery are seen as factors in forming a republic that excludes foreigners—central to Thiel’s political worldview.

In short, Thiel believes Western civilization must become great again, and the path lies in removing regulatory barriers to technological innovation. From colonizing oceanic islands to Mars, and extending lifespan through life sciences, he advocates accelerating everything. This accelerativist approach aims to reach a level where technological progress cannot be stopped, leading history back to ancient Greece and saving Western civilization—that is his vision.

Interestingly, this accelerativism is equivalent to the philosophy of e/acc. Elon Musk’s long-termism and SBF’s effective altruism share the same fundamental direction. Persistence and victory are less important than desperately accelerating toward ultimate victory—this is the philosophy underpinning Thiel’s political practices and investment decisions.

The Changes Thiel Has Brought — A Turning Point in U.S. Power Structures

Recent data shows Thiel’s net worth exceeds $20.8 billion, placing him among the world’s wealthiest. But his true success is not just monetary. Most importantly, he has sought to or has begun to change the balance of power between the East and West Coasts.

Before Thiel, the West Coast was dominated by tech elites, while the East Coast was controlled by the Washington political and financial complex. The conventional view was that as business grew large, one had to join the government and participate in political games.

However, as technology and finance merge, the political power balance in Washington has begun to shift. Right-wing tech entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly capable of controlling the U.S. and the world.

Through Thiel, Girard’s theories have changed the world. But that alone was not enough. Facing a spiritual crisis where rational Western civilization has no place for God and cannot define itself, Thiel chose Leo Strauss’s philosophy.

From founding the Stanford Review to the rebirth of the Trump administration, Thiel has realized a return to neoconservatism within the most自由 Silicon Valley, embedding Trump and Vance as a double insurance against the deeply rooted Washington establishment. As a result, practitioners in West Coast crypto and AI are beginning to replace traditional elites.

Thiel does not shout; he acts. While Musk loudly advocates, Thiel quietly and surely is rewriting the U.S. power structure. This is the most crucial part of the current major political change in America.