Billionaire Peter Thiel deepens ties with German and Austrian right-wing political elite

Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of Palantir, maintains deep relationships with right-wing conservative political figures in Germany and Austria.

A recent investment by Thiel’s venture capital firm, Founders Fund, into the prominent German drone startup Stark has reignited debate over attempts by the pro-MAGA right to establish influence in Germany and wider Europe. Stark also supplies unmanned aerial vehicles to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr).

According to a report by German Foreign Policy, efforts by Thiel to extend his influence into Europe were recently brought to light by revelations that Jens Spahn, the deputy leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, repeatedly attended meetings of the secretive “Dialog” society founded by Thiel.

In 2017, Spahn established contact with Steve Bannon, who was Donald Trump’s chief strategist at the time, and later maintained close relations with Richard Grenell, Trump’s far-right ambassador to Germany.

Furthermore, in early 2022, Thiel hired former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at one of his firms, Thiel Capital. At the time, Thiel’s biographer noted that his plans for Kurz extended “absolutely far beyond” mere commercial objectives.

Jens Spahn’s MAGA connections

Jens Spahn began building connections with influential figures in Donald Trump’s inner circle at an early stage.

As early as 2017, Spahn spent his Easter holidays in the US, where on April 21 he met with Steve Bannon, who was still serving as Trump’s chief strategist.

Spahn, who was serving as Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance at the time, was subsequently reported to have been “enthusiastic” about the meeting, with Bannon leaving a “strong impression” on him.

A year later, Bannon began building networks across the European far-right. During this period, Spahn established an excellent relationship with Richard Grenell, who assumed office as the US Ambassador to Germany on May 8, 2018, and held the post until June 1, 2020. It is well known that Spahn and Grenell maintain a close friendship.

Also in 2018, Spahn attended an event organized by the “Dialog” society for the first time. He attended the event again in 2019 while serving as Germany’s health minister, and subsequently as an opposition politician in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Although Spahn claims he has never met Thiel at these events, numerous individuals associated with the MAGA movement, including some from Thiel’s inner circle, were indeed present.

Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz also on the list: What is Thiel’s political project?

Thiel’s network of contacts includes not only Spahn but also former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Just months after leaving office on October 11, 2021, Kurz was appointed Global Strategist at the US-based Thiel Capital.

According to statements made at the time by Thiel’s biographer, Max Chafkin, Thiel Capital serves as a kind of “inner circle,” distinct from Founders Fund, through which Thiel makes his technology investments.

While Kurz could assist Thiel in expanding Palantir’s operations in Europe, Chafkin noted that “Thiel’s plan for Kurz definitely goes far beyond that.”

Thiel Capital acts as “a kind of holding company for his political project.” The US billionaire aims to “position himself within conservative, nationalist circles and promote populist views there,” mirroring the support he has provided to Donald Trump.

In doing so, he backs “politicians who want to radically restrict migration” and advocates for culturally conservative stances, such as “the fight against ‘cancel culture’ and political correctness.”

The next step is “Trumpism without Trump.” Chafkin pointed out that Thiel donated $10 million each to the Senate election campaigns of Blake Masters in Arizona and J.D. Vance in Ohio, both of whom had previously “worked at his investment firms.” Kurz, Chafkin observed, “fits this picture perfectly.”