Overview
- Reuters obtained transcripts and audio of a closed-door lecture series in San Francisco where Thiel outlined ideological fears, including an 'Antichrist' figure and one-world governance.
- Thiel recounted advising Musk to leave the Giving Pledge, claiming Musk’s fortune could flow to 'left-wing nonprofits' selected by Bill Gates, though the pledge lets signatories choose recipients.
- Musk signed the Giving Pledge in 2012, and Thiel said Musk took the concerns seriously, according to the lecture materials.
- Using actuarial tables, Thiel said the odds of Musk’s death within a year translated to $1.4 billion effectively going to Gates, and he quoted a back-and-forth in which he told Musk it would be 'much worse to give it to Bill Gates.'
- Spokespeople for Thiel, Musk and Gates did not comment to Reuters, and there is no public indication that Musk has changed his pledge.