The Philosopher in the Valley
Alex Karp and Palantir's path from CIA money to the surveillance state.
Summary
The reference has not verified this book in detail; the summary states only what the title, author and subject establish.
Michael Steinberger is a journalist who has written for the New York Times Magazine and other publications, and this book is a biography of Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal and Palantir, early investor in Facebook, and a significant figure in American technology and politics.
The reference has not verified this book's contents. Its subject and author are established by the title and by Steinberger's publication record. The underlying material a biography of Thiel would cover includes his education and early legal career, the founding of PayPal and the group of people who came from it, Palantir and its government contracting, the Founders Fund, his investment in Facebook, his intellectual influences and published writing, his funding of the litigation that ended Gawker, and his political activity.
Readers should go to the book itself for its argument. This entry establishes only the subject and does not describe findings the reference has confirmed.
Key takeaways 6
- Thiel founded PayPal, was Facebook's first significant outside investor, and co-founded Palantir and Founders Fund.
- His published writing argues that competition destroys profit and that founders should seek monopoly positions rather than compete.
- Palantir built its business on government and defence contracting, which distinguished it from the consumer technology sector around it.
- Thiel funded litigation that resulted in the bankruptcy of a media company that had reported on him.
- His political activity has made him unusual among technology investors in taking public partisan positions.
- The reference has not verified this book's specific claims, and this entry describes the subject rather than the argument.
Who should read it
Readers following the intersection of technology investing and politics, with the caveat that this entry is not a verified reading of the book.
Where it sits in the reference 2
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