Serious Problem With Peter Thiel
A critique of Silicon Valley's venture capitalism's growing moral void
There is something deeply unsettling and immoral about the kind of capitalism that men like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Marc Andreessen are promoting today. It is cold, clinical, and ultimately dehumanizing. These are men who do not merely see themselves as builders or investors—they see themselves as messiahs, as saviors of humanity, as architects of a post-human world. And perhaps most dangerously, they believe their wealth insulates them from being questioned.
I am not an anti-capitalist. I believe in the power of markets, of innovation, and of entrepreneurship. But I reject the version of capitalism that lacks empathy, the kind that externalizes suffering, treats the planet as a sandbox for experimentation, and sees fellow humans as either resources to exploit or obstacles to outsmart.
What disturbs me is not just Peter Thiel’s ideas, but the fact that so many in Silicon Valley worship him. I hear it in conversations with my VC peers, in the reverent tone used when discussing his “brilliance.” But brilliance without compassion is a dangerous force.
Let’s be honest: Thielism is not just a philosophy—it is a worldview that glorifies elitism, detests democracy, and dreams of cities governed not by laws, but by corporate decrees. His “Freedom Cities” concept, where corporations write their own laws and potentially turn citizens into indentured servants, is not innovation—it’s neo-feudalism rebranded.
The Technocrat Messiah
Peter Thiel’s interview with Ross Douthat left me cold. His words carried the unmistakable tone of a man convinced he is part of a select few chosen to “save” humanity. His disdain for institutions like the FDA or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which he calls instruments of the “Antichrist,” isn’t just fringe rhetoric—it’s the rationalization of lawlessness.
His obsession with “immortality” as the final frontier is emblematic of a man who fears death more than he loves life. It’s not about extending life for the benefit of humanity—it’s about escaping accountability, outliving the consequences of one’s decisions.
The Missing Compass: Moral Capitalism
Now contrast this with Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, who gave away his billion-dollar company so that all profits could be used to fight the climate crisis. No interviews about immortality, no Freedom Cities, no declaration of war on democracy. Just a man who believes that capitalism can be responsible, compassionate, and rooted in the earth, not in Mars.
Or take Warren Buffett—a man who has spent decades talking about stewardship, trust, and long-term value. Buffett doesn’t build bunkers or fund monarchist ideologues. He invests in businesses. He believes in taxes. He believes in democracy. He believes in compounding trust, not just capital. Is he right about everything, or could his investments be more meaningful in helping us transition towards a better world? Absolutely, but he is not lunatic like Thiel, not even close.
These men are not perfect. But they remind us that capitalism doesn’t have to be colonizing, extractive, or obsessed with godlike control over biology and society. There’s another path. A quieter, more grounded path.
The danger isn’t just Thiel’s vision. The danger is that we’re increasingly accepting it as usual. That venture capitalists idolize these men, that founders emulate them, that the worship of brilliance is replacing the need for decency.
When men like Thiel use religion, politics, and philosophy to justify the accumulation of unchecked power, and when no one dares to say “you’re wrong,” we are not building the future—we're building a dystopia. It is not the next Silicon Valley. These are tech monarchs in Patagonia vests, which in itself is a hypocrisy - I wish these tech oligarchs (warlords) would learn from the Patagonia founder.
Capitalism Needs a Soul
I often think of Pico Iyer, who speaks about the art of stillness in a world of noise. I wish more VCs would sit with his words. I wish more founders would read Yvon’s story. I wish we remembered that human progress isn’t measured in code or carbon credits—it’s measured in kindness, in how we treat the weakest among us.
I am a capitalist. But I am not a disciple of Peter Thiel. I am not here to worship the messiah of Mars. I am here to build things that matter, to live on a planet worth protecting, and to invest in a future where empathy is not a liability, but an advantage.
For fun, by contrast, watch this heartwarming, simple interview with Warren Buffett. We need more Warren Buffett in this world. We do need!
“Businesspeople represent private citizens and act for the benefit of the nation. At the center of the nation is its people, who need to think of the whole world becoming a community instead of confining themselves to the narrow perspective of caring only about their own country.”
Ethical Capitalism: Shibusawa Eiichi and Business Leadership in Global Perspective
If you are building something in the Nordics or Japan, I’d love to learn more from you. Please reach out to me at nobody@firstfollowers.co.
Stay weird!