Billionaire mogul Peter Thiel (born October 11, 1967) is a famed entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist, and thought leader. He is the co-founder of companies such as PayPal, Palantir, and Founders Fund. Along with famous figures such as Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, David Sacks, and Max Levchin, Thiel is one of the members of the group colloquially referred to as the “PayPal Mafia” – prolific founders that have since gone on to start many of the world’s most famous companies. Thiel’s Founders Fund was one of the initial investors in Facebook ($500,000 for a 10% stake) and also the first institutional investor in SpaceX (created by Musk). Thiel’s companies and investments have cemented his reputation as a visionary and prominent leader in the tech industry.
Thiel is also well known as a deep thinker for his outspoken views on philosophy, politics, technology, and economics. He wrote the book “Zero to One” in 2014, delivering his insights on startups, providing value, and building the future. Thiel can be a polarizing figure to some at times, but he has fascinating, thought-provoking insights and thoughts on just about any important subject.
Peter Thiel Quotes
“Monopoly is the condition of every successful business.”
“The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself.”
“Tolstoy opens Anna Karenina by observing: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Business is the opposite. All happy companies are different: each one earns a monopoly by solving a unique problem. All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition.
“The most valuable businesses of coming decades will be built by entrepreneurs who seek to empower people rather than try to make them obsolete.”
“Madness is rare in individuals—but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule.”
“In the most dysfunctional organizations, signaling that work is being done becomes a better strategy for career advancement than actually doing work (if this describes your company, you should quit now).”
“The single most powerful pattern I have noticed is that successful people find value in unexpected places, and they do this by thinking about business from first principles instead of formulas.”
“One of the things we overvalue in Silicon Valley is growth rates and we undervalue durability.”
“Don’t always go through the tiny little door that everyone is trying to rush through…maybe go around the corner and go through the vast gate that no one’s taking.”
“University administrators are the equivalent of subprime mortgage brokers selling you a story that you should go into debt massively, that it’s not a consumption decision, it’s an investment decision. Actually no, it’s a bad consumption decision. Most colleges are four-year parties.”
“There are still many large white spaces on the map of human knowledge. You can go discover them. So do it. Get out there and fill in the blank spaces. Every single moment is a possibility to go to these new places and explore them.”
Peter Thiel Books
“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” – by Peter Thiel
“The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley” – by Jimmy Soni
“Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue” – by Ryan Holiday
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