HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456.jpg
2.44 MB
Extraction Summary
5
People
4
Organizations
3
Locations
4
Events
3
Relationships
4
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
News article / investigative report (house oversight exhibit)
File Size:
2.44 MB
Summary
This document, labeled as a House Oversight exhibit, appears to be a news article detailing Peter Thiel's political and legal activities. It covers his $300,000 donation to Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley (who subsequently investigated Google), his move from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and his secret financing of Hulk Hogan's lawsuit which bankrupted Gawker Media. The document explores Thiel's motivations regarding Silicon Valley culture and his grievances with Gawker.
People (5)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Thiel | Subject of article/Investor |
Discussed regarding his political donations, move to Los Angeles, and funding of the lawsuit against Gawker.
|
| Josh Hawley | Missouri Attorney General/Senate Candidate |
Recipient of $300,000 donation from Thiel; opened antitrust investigation into Google.
|
| Claire McCaskill | Democratic Senator |
Incumbent senator being challenged by Josh Hawley.
|
| Hulk Hogan | Plaintiff/Former Pro Wrestler |
Also known as Terry Bollea; won a lawsuit against Gawker financed by Thiel.
|
| Terry Bollea | Plaintiff |
Real name of Hulk Hogan.
|
Organizations (4)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
|
Subject of antitrust investigation by Josh Hawley.
|
||
| Gawker |
Online publisher destroyed by lawsuit financed by Thiel; went bankrupt in 2016.
|
|
| Silicon Valley |
Tech industry hub mentioned in context of arrogance and culture.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the footer stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'.
|
Timeline (4 events)
Last month (relative to article date)
November (Year implied 2017)
Locations (3)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
State where Hawley campaigned for AG and Senate.
|
|
|
City Thiel is moving from.
|
|
|
City Thiel is moving to.
|
Relationships (3)
Mr. Thiel gave $300,000 to Josh Hawley
He secretly financed the privacy lawsuit that Hulk Hogan... filed against the media company
Hawley... is now challenging the state’s Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill
Key Quotes (4)
"Having some ambition that transcends just making money is a critical thing for a company... But there is some point where it gets crazy and self-delusional."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456.jpg
Quote #1
"Network effects are very positive things, but there’s a tipping point where they fall over into the madness of crowds."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456.jpg
Quote #2
"Gawker was trying to cut people down to size for not conforming."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456.jpg
Quote #3
"Terry Bollea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, is still owed some money"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456.jpg
Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,058 characters)
“Having some ambition that transcends just making money is a critical thing for a company,” he said. “But there is some point where it gets crazy and self-delusional.” He added that the companies “are probably in some trouble — maybe it’s a little, maybe it’s a lot.” The prospect of government regulation looms.
In 2015 and 2016, Mr. Thiel gave $300,000 to Josh Hawley, who was campaigning to become Missouri’s attorney general. Mr. Hawley won, and in November he opened an antitrust investigation of Google. A spokeswoman for Mr. Hawley, a Republican who is now challenging the state’s Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, said there was “no connection” between Mr. Thiel’s donation and the investigation. Google declined to comment.
The news last month that Mr. Thiel is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles reflects a shift that is as much mental as literal. Getting out of the tech bubble, he figures, will give him more clarity about his investments.
“Network effects are very positive things, but there’s a tipping point where they fall over into the madness of crowds,” he said.
Another of Mr. Thiel’s contentious ideas was destroying Gawker, the online publisher. He secretly financed the privacy lawsuit that Hulk Hogan, the former pro wrestler, filed against the media company, which Mr. Hogan won. That led to Gawker’s bankruptcy in 2016.
A news operation that specialized in deflating the arrogance of Silicon Valley should have been to Mr. Thiel’s liking. But he argues that his philosophy is consistent here.
“Gawker was trying to cut people down to size for not conforming,” he said. “The ability to speak and not have every word you say get distorted, to have wrong ideas and then be able to correct them — these notions were powerfully undercut by Gawker.”
Mr. Thiel is still pursuing the remnants of Gawker in court, which has prompted accusations that he wants to remove all of its content from the internet as a final victory.
He denied this. “Terry Bollea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, is still owed some money
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029456
Discussion 0
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this epstein document