In 2002, EBAY purchased a small, then recent IPO for 1.5 billion dollars, a high price for a company making a fraction of that. More than 10 years later, the investment in PayPal was clearly a good one. Co-founder Peter Thiel was a big part of that transaction happening.
Peter Thiel is an interesting guy. He's on my radar because of his involvement in disseminating Rene Girard's work, whom, as I have written previously, may have the great, orignal contribution to Religion in the 20th century.
Thiel met Girard at Stanford, from where he obtained his law degree from. Amongst Thiel's accomplishments was his $500,000 early investment in Facebook, which gave his VC a 10% stake-- that is worth billions now. He also is a big supporter of biomedical science, and provides grants for ideas that, believe me, won't normally get funded by national institutions.
Thiel also is openly gay. a through-and-through libertarian, and a Christian. Not a combination that is too prevalent in the human population.
Thiel is clearly a fascinating and brilliant guy. And for me, I am quite excited he is involved with Girard. As I am going through "I see Satan fall like lightning", it is encouraging to know that a guy with the resources, worldview and intelligence like Thiel will be around to help spread the Girardian viewpoint.
