Palantir, PayPal Co-Founder Turned FBI Informant — Report Reveals Peter Thiel's Hidden Role

A report has unveiled German-American billionaire and PayPal and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel’s involvement as a “confidential human source” or CHS for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shedding light on a previously undisclosed aspect of his life.

What Happened: Thiel took on the role of a CHS for the FBI in the summer of 2021, working closely with Johnathan Buma, an FBI agent based in Los Angeles specializing in political corruption and foreign-influence investigations.

Charles Johnson, a close associate of Thiel and a prominent figure in the far-right movement, played a pivotal role in introducing him to Agent Buma. 

Thiel’s FBI-directed mission did not involve reporting on his interactions with U.S. political figures, including former President Donald Trump, reported Business Insider, citing Johnson and other sources whose identity is known to the publication. 

See Also: Republican Party Loses One Of Its Biggest Donors: Billionaire Peter Thiel Says ‘I’m Out’

According to the report, the FBI maintains a vast network of informants, carefully regulating their recruitment and ongoing relationships. These sources are more than just casual tipsters. They enter into a lasting relationship with the FBI. 

More About Thiel’s Case: As a CHS, Thiel was assigned a code name and an internal serial number for tracking his reports. His information was subjected to rigorous validation by his case agents and their colleagues.

As per Johnson, Thiel’s work with the FBI mostly involved sharing information about people from other countries and their efforts to get into Silicon Valley. 

He said the FBI had told Thiel not to tell them about his conversations or dealings with former President Trump or other American politicians.

Previously, Thiel had publicly asked the FBI to look into Google’s connections with the Chinese government. 

For the unversed, back in 2019, Thiel had suggested that the FBI and CIA should look into Google to make sure that Chinese spies hadn’t secretly entered the company’s artificial intelligence research. Later, in 2021, he criticized Google, Apple, and Bitcoin BTC/USD, accusing them of working against U.S. interests and in favor of China.

Unanswered Questions: While the report provides a startling revelation, many questions remain unanswered. It’s unclear whether Thiel still maintains this role as an FBI informant. 

Johnson thinks the connection between Thiel and the FBI might have been cut off. Agent Buma informed the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was told to stop talking to all his sources around the end of 2022, the report noted. 

Meanwhile, it was reported that Thiel could sit on the sidelines of the 2024 election.

Possible Motivations: Johnson’s motives for revealing Thiel’s possible connection to the FBI are complex. In a written statement to Insider, Johnson explained that he was stepping forward as a CHS to support Buma’s whistleblowing efforts to reform the FBI’s handling of informants. 

Johnson also expressed feeling betrayed by Thiel for not investing in his startups, a move he had anticipated in exchange for introducing Thiel to Agent Buma.

Why It’s Important: The report has raised many questions about Thiel’s motivations and the potential impact on his business interests. 

Thiel maintains a 10% stake in Palantir, a data company with significant government contracts, and has backed Boldend, a spyware firm marketing itself as an American competitor to the Israeli NSO Group.

The report concluded, saying Thiel is not the only right-wing figure who has collaborated with the FBI. In the past, Trump offered to help the FBI with organized crime issues. 

Moreover, Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, has also quietly alerted the FBI about users making violent threats.

Photo by Mark Reinstein on Shutterstock

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