Peter Thiel ‘cozied up to the alt-right as he threw his support behind Trump in 2016’

Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel hosted a dinner for a least one influential white nationalist during Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. 

PayPal founder Thiel enjoyed the dinner he had with former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos, according to an email he sent the day after he hosted him at his Hollywood Hills home, Buzzfeed News reports. 

Thiel invited Yiannopoulos over for dinner in June 2016 after turning down the chance to appear on the provocateur’s podcast in May of that year. 

The venture capitalist’s seemingly tight relationship with the alt-right gave them hope for his influence on Trump, following his steep financial contribution to his 2016 campaign.  

Peter Thiel’s relationship with members of the alt-right gave them hope for utilizing his tightness with Donald Trump in 2016

The billionaire venture capitalist sent an email sharing that he enjoyed his 2016 dinner with Milo Yiannopoulos

According to sources familiar with the matter, Thiel has distanced himself from Trump during the president’s reelection campaign. 

The billionaire has made no media appearances for the president, nor has he penned any opinion pieces in favor of Trump. 

Thiel has also not made any donations to Trump’s bid to keep his post, Buzzfeed reports.

The distance is due in large part to the president’s response to COVID-19. Two sources confirmed that the pandemic was a moment of no return for the billionaire, who felt that the administration had fumbled handling the virus.

‘He’s fully enlightened, just plays it very carefully,’ Curtis Yarvin, known as far-right blogger Mencius Moldbug (pitured), said about Thiel in an email to Yiannopoulos in 2016.

White nationalist had been talking about plans with the billionaire for much of the summer of that year

While Yiannopoulos has been shunned since he was seen doing a Nazi salute, correspondence shows that Thiel was really a fan. 

‘He’s fully enlightened, just plays it very carefully,’ Curtis Yarvin, known as far-right blogger Mencius Moldbug, said about Thiel in an email to Yiannopoulous in 2016.

White nationalist had been talking about plans with the billionaire for much of the summer of that year.  

Peter Brimelow, founder of white supremacist website VDare, emailed writer Kevin DeAnna on July 2 to chastise him for freelancing at other outlets.

In the email he asserted that ‘Hispanics do specialize in rape, particularly of children,’ but he also wanted to know: ‘Why hadn’t his writer kept him updated on an upcoming meeting with Thiel?’

‘I am fed up with being surprised about e.g. this meeting with the Right Stuff, Ann Coulter, Thiel etc.,’ Brimelow said. ‘You are being paid in part to keep me abreast of Alt Right developments and you’re not doing it.’  

DeAnna, an influential white nationalist, responded the following day: ‘Not sure why I’m getting in trouble for the Thiel thing.’ He would add that he only told Brimelow’s wife of specific information.