this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2026
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/54149315

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Peter Thiel's visit to the Institute of France, a learned society in the heart of Paris, was kept secret until the very last moment. There, behind closed doors, he was due to speak at a meeting of members of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, a working group intended to discuss "the future of democracy." The group, chaired by former minister Hervé Gaymard, has previously interviewed 25 figures, all French, mainly legal scholars, political scientists and historians.

Even Xavier Darcos, chancellor of the Institute of France, who oversees all five of its academies, was only informed of Thiel's invitation at the last minute. The invitation has caused a stir within the institution, not only because Thiel, the American billionaire who co-founded the online payment system PayPal and Palantir Technologies, a data analytics giant that works for many governments, is one of the biggest investors in the American tech sector. Rather, it is Thiel's political ideas, which openly contest democracy, that make his presence at the academy event decidedly provocative.

According to an outline of his speech sent to the academy, of which Le Monde obtained a copy in French, Thiel intended to introduce himself as "a moderate Orthodox Christian and a humble classical liberal, with one seemingly minor deviation from classical liberal orthodoxy: I worry about the Antichrist."

Through Thiel, however, the academy is about to encounter a far more radical worldview. The Antichrist, a figure he has given sometimes-cryptic talks on, drawing from both the Book of Daniel in the Bible and the writings of 16th-century English philosopher Francis Bacon, does not, according to him, refer to the rise of artificial intelligence or the proliferation of imperialist leaders. Thiel claims that today's Antichrist is anyone who expresses alarm about climate change, stokes fears of nuclear war or seeks to regulate the use of screens and social media platforms, all in order to promote the emergence of a "world government" – something libertarians, who are hostile to all forms of state regulation, dread above all.

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It‘s not surprising some rich self-important wanker thinks they have some pseudo-insight into something.

What is surprising are the people that want to listen to rich wankers.

[–] mitkase@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

In French, he’s a “putain.”

[–] thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I speak some french and would like to add that specifically, he's a putain de merde.

[–] Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You really can't have "learned society" and "Peter Thiel speaks" in the same article.

[–] TwodogsFighting@lemdro.id 10 points 1 day ago

'Peter thiel speaks and learned society beats him with sticks' would be acceptable.

[–] shani66@ani.social 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Not only does he show a total disconnect with reality, he's also even more ignorant of Christian theology than most Christians. An impressive feat! The prophecies of the antichrist are quite clear; it's almost certainly Donald Trump. Yes the evil religion adores him, but it calls out specific Trump-isms as a sign of the antichrist, like his beef with Mexico or his hats.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 1 day ago

i think peter thiel is the anti-christ, hes actually evil. TRUMP is more like a stooge, that is mind controlled by the antichrist. american dad had the episode where the anti-christ mind controlled steve to be used as a puppet.

[–] CXORA@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So youre just saying whatever you want huh? The whole point of prophecy is you can force it to resemble just about any figure you want if you squint. The Antichrist figure was "almost certainly" a direct reference to a figure of the time, not a prophetic vision of some future tyrant.

[–] shani66@ani.social 2 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I'm pretty sure we know the Roman emperor the prophecies were originally meant to slander, but they also objectively apply to Trump.

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[–] robomuffin79@lemmy.world 107 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Unbelievable that this nutjob and his coked out partner have managed to obtain lucrative government contracts across the West

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 54 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Funny how mandatory drug tests don't include the C-suite.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I mean if a presidential candidate pitched drug testing CEOs contracted to the defense industey I'd vote for them because it would mean either A) these fucks would have to do this shit sober, B) they get fired, or C) drugs would be legalized.

Though its very likely most of them have prescriptions or whatever as well which is just another thing single payer health insurance would solve.

[–] herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Peter Thiel is the anti-Christ.

[–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Miller better meets that personification. Thiel is more of a Bielzabub.

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 days ago

I hope someone slaps a 3 days old baguette to his face.

[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 58 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (6 children)

He’s trying to create a new christianity where the rich are seen as holy. Thats all this is.

[–] leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

OK. Let's celebrate the eucharist by consuming their flesh and blood, then.

[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 2 points 23 hours ago

I got permabanned from reddit for suggesting we should eat the rich like this.

This is why lemmy will always be superior.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I mean to be fair that's what all the billionaires are doing:

Musks wants a white nazi jesus who forces women to carry children at gunpoint, break up striking workers and lower taxes while giving musk subsidies.

Theil thinks the antichrist should be anyone opposed to his investment portfolio.

And the Mercers think Jesus was warning us about the dangers of caring for our neighbors.

Trump of course thinks Epstein is jesus and will return to earth soon to rapture all the pedophiles to pedophile heaven.

[–] Gsus4@programming.dev 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

But they've had that since Reagan. Now they just seem to be more foolish about it.

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[–] Draegur@lemmy.zip 26 points 2 days ago

This egotistical motherfucker just can't seem to shut the fuck up and stop talking about himself.

[–] aviationeast@lemmy.world 52 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Hey France you still have those guillotines around? Can you do the world a favor?

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 56 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 days ago

The hero we need right now…

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[–] FreddiesLantern@leminal.space 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 1 day ago

thiel prefers blood of young men and male children which he pays large sums of money for to preserve his youth.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 4 points 2 days ago

Choke on anything and die

[–] a_person@piefed.social 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

South park was right (s28e01)

"Peter Thiel knows about the antichrist"

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It was based on his history. He gave long lectures about the Antichrist before SP.

Behind The Bastards does more investigation into this

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago

his history with gawker is pretty telling too.

[–] idealism_nearby@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Deciding that the best solution to encroaching government power is more capitalist corruption of existing state institutions, and investing in Palantir, a tool that literally assists governments in controlling their populaces via soft power, is absolutely demented.

The solution to all of these problems is more democracy, not less. Create an actual system that puts power in the hands of the people, because this ain't it, and it never was.

[–] Shameless@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago

We all know that people who are poor and homeless are at much greater risk of mental health issues such as schizophrenia, I really wouldn't be surprised if the same applies when you have too much money and become paranoid about various issues correlated to how you accumulated your wealth.

[–] Ilixtze@lemmy.ml 29 points 3 days ago

France was home to many great philosophers. I'd expect the French to tar and feather this Imbecile for all his useless pseudo religious word salad.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Does that mean we'll get film of his insane rants?

His brain seems to have turned into pudding since Luigi Mangione allegedly killed that CEO.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 1 day ago

his obsession with PALINITIR has turned his brain to mush a decade ago.

[–] Tehbaz@lemmy.wtf 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Hoping that the French "Luigi" him while he's there.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

In france its a "Robespierre" and they have a special device for it.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 1 day ago

they fought of vampires in castlevania.

[–] MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This man should look in the mirror…

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[–] rayyy@piefed.social 11 points 2 days ago

Well, well. Peter Thiel should just talk about himself. He knows exactly what the anti-Christ is about from a first hand perspective.

[–] Zirconium@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Thiel claims that today's Antichrist is anyone who expresses alarm about climate change, stokes fears of nuclear war or seeks to regulate the use of screens and social media platforms, all in order to promote the emergence of a "world government" – something libertarians, who are hostile to all forms of state regulation, dread above all.

Raised in apartheid-era South Africa, the venture capitalist seems to have clung to the idea that certain categories of people are meant to rule over others. He is an elitist who advocates for an oligarchic system, one in which governance is ensured by a select few, preferably wealthy male entrepreneurs, and who exalts progress, technology and the supremacy of the individual. Monarchy is the best form of government, he argues in his essay Zero to One.

Why didn't I think about that, world government is only bad unless Thiel is in charge

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[–] arcterus@piefed.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 days ago

"a moderate Orthodox Christian and a humble classical liberal, with one seemingly minor deviation from classical liberal orthodoxy: I worry about the Antichrist."

It's disturbing that he considers himself "moderate"

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