A planned discussion ended up pulled after numerous participants threatened to withdraw from the Vienna Festival over the IT investor’s appearance.
The Vienna Festival cancelled a scheduled appearance of US-German tech mogul Peter Thiel after facing mounting criticism from its sponsors and a mass exodus of other participants.
The co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, widely known for his controversial right-wing and “transhumanist” views, was expected to participate in a discussion titled ‘Armageddon and the Antichrist? From Theology to Realpolitik.’ This year, the Festival declared itself the “Republic of Gods,” advertising itself as a “space of radical criticism and new beginnings.”
The scheduled panel immediately drew controversy, with some seeing it as an opportunity to debate Thiel’s controversial ideas, while others argued the entrepreneur’s apocalyptic worldview should not receive a platform at all. His scheduled appearance has been criticized by the Vienna city authorities, which sponsor the festival.
“The invitation to Peter Thiel is quite rightly causing great discontent among the public,” Vienna’s City Councillor for Culture, Veronica Kaup-Hasler, told Der Standard newspaper.
The mass withdrawal of other participants from the event became the final straw, with organizers admitting the Thiel controversy had weakened the festival “to an unacceptable extent.” They ultimately announced on Saturday that the discussion with the entrepreneur was cancelled.
“Not at any cost: I take the critical voices very seriously. Out of my responsibility for the overall program, I unfortunately had to decide against the planned event with Peter Thiel, although I found it extremely compelling and thematically consistent within the framework of the Republic of Gods. However, insisting on the event would run counter to my appreciation of our artistic program and everyone involved in it,” Artistic Director Milo Rau said in a statement.
Thiel’s public speeches have repeatedly sparked controversy. Back in March, he held a series of invitation-only lectures on the Antichrist in Rome at a secret location near the Vatican. Some media reports even claimed that the event would be held in the Pontifical St. Thomas Aquinas University – the alma mater of Pope Leo XIV. The institution rushed to deny any links to the event, while other Vatican-linked officials criticized Thiel’s activities as well.
Thiel says he has grown wary that an Antichrist will emerge who will create a one-world government on the promise of something like stopping nuclear, AI or climate-induced disaster.
And knowing this it is better that the public don’t get an inkling of his opinions because that would cause empowerment.
Peter Thiel’s point that concentrated political control over powerful tech is dangerous deserves debate. Centralized AI and surveillance can both chill innovation and enable authoritarian power—especially when decisions are hidden behind closed algorithms and secretive procurement. Instead of silencing critics, we should demand: transparency about how these systems are built and used; independent audits and redress mechanisms; legal limits on mass surveillance; and support for decentralized, open alternatives that keep power distributed. Defend rigorous oversight and free debate—those protect innovation and civil liberties.
Peter Thiel’s paradigm of thinking/world view will undoubtedly have an influence on the dimension of he work product.
The difference is, Thiel’s work product is increasingly being adopted by those that control and want to control your freedom and privacy. I think Thiel’s ‘world view’ needs to be heard; to guage just where this is all going.
Thiel rushed to New Zealand to became a New Zealand citizen in June 2011.
Now he is living in a tony suburb in a mansion in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Our new Nostradamus.
Ever listened to this man speaking? If you can get past the stuttering and stammering you will find he doesn’t have much to say that hasn’t been said several times, over several centuries, by the same believers of apocalyptic events to come. Does he know he word apocalyptic comes from a Greek word meaning “to unveil”?
Considering he has been a prime mover in the development of that most invidious surveillance system – Palantir – maybe he is right to be nervous.
Lately he has been using biblical quotations to apply to his latest thing – the antichrist.
He seems an anxious, deeply conflicted man, certainly not the confident person he used to be.
I wonder what he is so frightened of?
Peter Thiel has left the U.S. PERMANENTLY to go and live with fellow Zionist Nazis in Argentina.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8sXMBtdLdk
The President of Argentina loves Israel, and supports the same.
Hence, it’s a sort of a reversal..Thiel leaves the U.S. knowing that the fiasco of Palantir, Karp and Thiel’s own involvement in being an accessory to Genocide is at hand!
Thiel can also have his NZ Passport INVALIDATES effective immediately!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMiQCfKSRnc
Now, the abuses that the Palestinian are suffering at the hands of the Israelis has Nazi roots!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tlCeNONTAM
REMEMBER…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v1znPcvBxw
Peter Thiel’s body-double as a Panzer Kommander…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZDix5w-SU4
Thiel is NOT J3wi$h; but an Evangelical Zionist Christian.
Alex Karp of Palantir is certainly J3wi$h…
The problem Christians who are supporting Israel are..Evangelicals!