Germans and the American Dream: Peter Thiel – The world’s smartest tech investor?

In der Reihe „Germans and the American Dream“ stellen wir jeden Monat eine:n deutsche:n Auswanderer:in vor, der oder die sich auf der anderen Seite des Atlantiks einen Namen gemacht und den Amerikanischen Traum gelebt hat oder lebt. Um eine nicht ganz unumstrittene Persönlichkeit geht es in der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On: Peter Thiel hat die Technologiewelt geprägt, polarisiert aber auch mit seinen Ansichten und Aussagen. Lesen Sie hier mehr.

Peter Thiel: The world’s smartest tech investor?

His vision and his money have helped shape the world of high technology.

By John Bilstein

1                 As a founding member of PayPal and the first outside investor in Facebook, Peter Thiel helped make Silicon Valley what it is today. Where he decides to invest his money continues to shape the world of high tech. As a member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee, a global think tank involving world leaders, investors and innovators, Thiel is one of the best-connected men on the planet.

2                 Born in Frankfurt am Main on October 11, 1967, Peter Andreas Thiel lived in the USA and other countries because his dad worked as a chemist in the mining industry. As a boy, Thiel was known to be an excellent chess player. In 1977, the family finally settled in California.

3                 After taking a degree in philosophy at Stanford and finishing his studies with a Juris Doctor, Thiel first worked for a law firm in New York and then became a banker at Credit Suisse.

4                 But it wasn’t until he started investing in technology that Thiel’s career really took off. In 1998, he co-founded PayPal together with IT specialist Max Levchin and later brought Elon Musk on board. In 2002, PayPal was sold off to eBay, earning Thiel a cool $500 million in the process.

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Den vollständigen Artikel lesen Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On.

Vocabulary

0–1             to shape s.th. etw. prägen, gestalten — founding member Gründungsmitglied — outside außenstehende(r) — steering committee Lenkungsausschuss — think tank Denkfabrik — world leader führende(r) Politiker(in) — innovator Erneuerer(-in) — connected vernetzt

2–3             chemist Chemiker(in) — mining industry Bergbauindustrie — to settle sich niederlassen — to take a degree in … einen akademischen Grad in … erwerben — Juris Doctor Doktor des Rechts — law firm Anwaltskanzlei

4             to take off (fig) Fahrt aufnehmen — to co-found s.th. etw. mitbegründen — to earn s.o. s.th. jdm. etw. einbringen — in the process dabei

Photo: Pixabay/Prawny