Tech Billionaire to Lead Lecture Series In Heart of Silicon Valley on Anti-Christ

PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel Explores Belief and Culture in a New Lecture Series

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Amid a burgeoning national movement toward faith, billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel is stepping into the spotlight this fall with “The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series” at The Commonwealth Club. Set for Mondays on September 15, 22, 29, and October 6, the series promises a profound exploration of the biblical view of the Antichrist through science, theology, history, politics, and literature. Drawing on thinkers like René Girard, Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, Carl Schmitt, and John Henry Newman, Thiel’s off-the-record reflections on belief, power, and culture shine more light on the broader resurgence of faith intersecting with professional and intellectual life across America.

Peter Thiel, born in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, his family emigrated to the United States when he was just one year old, settling initially in Cleveland, Ohio, before moving to South Africa during the apartheid era and eventually to Foster City, California, in 1977. At Stanford University, Thiel studied philosophy, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989, and later earned a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1992. It was here that he co-founded The Stanford Review, a conservative-libertarian newspaper, and first encountered the mimetic theory of French philosopher René Girard—a Catholic thinker whose ideas on desire, imitation, and scapegoating would profoundly influence Thiel’s faith and business philosophy. Girard’s journey from atheism back to devout Catholicism resonated with Thiel, who has integrated these concepts into his views on competition and societal dynamics.

Thiel’s career trajectory is legendary in Silicon Valley. After brief work in law and finance, he co-founded PayPal in 1998, serving as CEO until its $1.5 billion sale to eBay in 2002, which netted him $55 million. He went on to launch Palantir Technologies in 2003, a data analytics firm now valued in the billions, and made a pivotal $500,000 investment in Facebook in 2004, joining its board and later profiting over $1 billion. Through Founders Fund, established in 2005, Thiel has backed groundbreaking companies like SpaceX, Airbnb, and Stripe, while his ventures extend to defense tech, fintech, and even radical life extension—often blending innovation with ethical and philosophical questions rooted in his beliefs.

Politically, Thiel identifies as a conservative libertarian, supporting figures including President Donald Trump and funding candidates such as V.P. J.D. Vance. Yet, at the core of his public persona is his faith. Raised in an Evangelical household, Thiel describes himself as a “somewhat heterodox” Christian—perhaps a Protestant with unconventional views, including his marriage to a man while attending conservative Anglican services. He has openly discussed how Christianity informs his worldview, from miracles and forgiveness to the intellectual case for the faith in a secular age. In a February 2025 talk, Thiel captivated Silicon Valley audiences with reflections on Jesus Christ, positioning tech luminaries as modern seekers of divine truth.

This series on the Antichrist, with its structured evenings—including drinks, lectures, Q&A sessions with Peter Robinson, and audience interactions—highlights Thiel’s role in the national movement back to God. As Americans increasingly integrate faith into work, from tech boardrooms to political arenas, Thiel’s story illustrates how spiritual exploration can drive innovation and cultural renewal. Tickets, available only for the full program and non-refundable to ensure continuity, invite participants to engage deeply with these “big questions” in good company, reflecting a collective yearning for meaning in an uncertain world.

The event is organized by the Acts 17 Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to Acknowledging Christ in Technology and Society. Through speaker events, the Collective brings together influential leaders from tech and entertainment to foster discussions at the intersection of faith, work, and culture, with limited-capacity gatherings designed for engagement and connection.