Peter Thiel Has a New Plan B Abroad

Peter Thiel is making his next international move just in case things go south with the American experiment, and that move is very far south. The New York Times reports that tech investor and Trump backer Peter Thiel has quietly shifted his family's life to Buenos Aires, where he's bought a mansion, enrolled his kids in school, randomly played in a local chess tournament (placing third), and met repeatedly with Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei. The move, per people familiar with his thinking, is part lifestyle choice, part ideological alignment with Milei's radical free-market program, and part hedge against what Thiel sees as rising taxes and political risk in the US—especially a proposed California wealth tax. It's the latest such foray for Thiel, who has New Zealand citizenship and a Maltese passport.

Argentina may seem like an odd refuge given its long history of economic turmoil, but Thiel reportedly views the Southern Cone as relatively shielded from global conflict, including the nuclear and AI catastrophes he likes to warn about. For now, his only known investment is real estate in Argentina and neighboring Uruguay, but his presence is already polarizing Argentine politics. For the whole picture, including the bunker speculation and apocalyptic dinner talk, read the full piece in the New York Times.