Who is Peter Thiel? What to know about Billionaire hosting Antichrist lecture series

Peter Thiel is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and an early investor in Facebook. Known for his sharp intellect and contrarian views, Thiel has often connected faith, philosophy, and technology in his public talks.

Now, he is stepping into even more provocative territory: a four-part lecture series on the biblical Antichrist. Hosted at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco beginning September 15, the series is already sold out, highlighting both curiosity and concern around Thiel’s framing of faith in the age of AI and global surveillance.

What Is the Antichrist Lecture Series About?

The program, officially titled “The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series”, will run weekly through October 6, 2025. Each session builds on the last, blending theology, literature, politics, and technology. Thiel plans to draw on religious and philosophical thinkers such as René Girard, Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, Carl Schmitt, and John Henry Newman.

Organized by the nonprofit ACTS 17 Collective, the lectures are off-the-record and non-transferrable, designed to create a sense of continuity and community. Drinks, small bites, and Q&A sessions with Thiel will punctuate the evenings, creating both intellectual and social engagement for attendees.

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Why the Antichrist, and Why Now?

Observers note that Thiel’s focus on the Antichrist is not merely theological but deeply connected to his long-standing warnings about technology. He has previously argued that AI, data mining, and surveillance systems risk becoming tools of authoritarianism, forms of control that echo biblical prophecy about power, deception, and end-times figures.

By framing the Antichrist as a lens through which to analyze global politics and Silicon Valley’s creations, Thiel challenges audiences to consider whether modern technology might fuel the rise of centralized, near-absolute authority. It’s a question that resonates in an era of growing debate about AI governance.

What Does This Mean for Silicon Valley and Beyond?

For Silicon Valley insiders, Thiel’s lectures could be more than spiritual speculation, they are a cultural intervention. As Bloomberg notes, when someone with Thiel’s track record in tech and politics raises alarms, leaders pay attention.

His blending of biblical prophecy, philosophy, and futurism forces uncomfortable questions: Are we building tools of liberation or enslavement? Could global governance structures take on the kind of unchecked power described in scripture? And what responsibility do technologists have in shaping that outcome?

The sold-out status of the event shows that whether one sees him as a visionary or a provocateur, Peter Thiel has the attention of both Silicon Valley and the public, and his lectures on the Antichrist may shape the way debates about technology, faith, and politics unfold in the years ahead.