The Rubin Report Peter Thiel on Trump, Gawker, and Leaving Silicon Valley
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Sep 12, 2018 
Peter Thiel, an entrepreneur known for co-founding PayPal and Palantir, joins the discussion on tech and politics. He shares insights on moving away from Silicon Valley's conformity and the rise of political correctness. Thiel reflects on the innovative strategies behind PayPal's growth and the challenges faced post-9/11. He dives into the complexities of supporting Trump, critiques the sensationalism of the media surrounding the Gawker case, and discusses the tension between security and civil liberties in today's tech landscape.
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Partnership with Musk
- Peter Thiel and Elon Musk were close partners at PayPal.
- After PayPal, Musk started SpaceX and Tesla, which were initially seen as impractical but ultimately succeeded.
PayPal's Distribution Strategy
- The key to a successful consumer internet product isn't the idea itself, but its distribution.
- PayPal's initial growth was driven by linking money with email and implementing a referral bonus system.
PayPal's Exponential Growth
- PayPal grew exponentially, starting with 24 people in their office sending money to friends.
- Through referral bonuses, it grew to a million users by mid-April 2000.