Peter Thiel Evolves from Libertarian Outsider to GOP Kingmaker

Between 2022 and 2024, billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel consolidated his role as the most influential unelected power broker in Republican politics. After seeding JD Vance's Senate campaign with $15 million and backing Blake Masters in Arizona, Thiel's network of tech-aligned candidates and Silicon Valley donors transformed the GOP's donor base — pulling it away from traditional corporate interests toward a techno-nationalist coalition hostile to regulatory democracy.