I think the stakes in this are not just, Are we going to have some new gadgets ?
— Peter Thiel, on technology s role in the future of a globalized, problem-filled world. A Fortune profile shines a light on Thiel — the PayPal co-founder (who s described as the head of the PayPal Mafia), venture capitalist, philanthropist and one of the tech world s most high-profile deep thinkers — and a mantra of his: that tech should be more ambitious and solve big problems.
One of the many ways Thiel is trying to get people to think big: His 20 Under 20 yearly program pays college students to drop out of school to work on their ideas. Thiel, who a couple of years ago taught a course at Stanford, is known for his view that college can be a money pit. Not surprisingly, the unusual program has drawn some criticism, with some saying it s misguided.
Photo of Peter Thiel from Mercury News archives
