America’s Secret Technofacist Overlord, with Max Chafkin

Factually! with Adam Conover

Headgum

Comedy

4.4 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 November 2025

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You’ve almost certainly heard Peter Thiel’s name. You very likely even have an opinion about him. But how much do you actually know about him? One of the most powerful people in America is also one of the most secretive, because that lack of public visibility gives him much more room to exercise a scary amount of control over our country. This week, Adam gets the in-depth scoop on Peter Thiel with Bloomberg Business Week reporter Max Chafkin, who recently authored the book The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power.

Find Max’s book at factuallypod.com/books

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a headgum podcast.
0:05.8	Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.com.
0:11.1	U.K.
0:11.9	slash Wondery.
0:13.1	That's audible.com.
0:14.5	UK slash Wondery.
0:17.0	I don't know the truth.
0:19.7	I don't know the way. I don't know the way.
0:22.4	I don't know what to think.
0:25.1	I don't know what to say.
0:28.0	Yeah, but that's all right.
0:30.9	That's okay.
0:33.4	I don't know anything.
0:37.7	Hey, everybody. welcome to Factually.
0:39.4	I'm Adam Kanover.
0:40.4	I'm delighted to have you with me on the show again,
0:42.5	because today we're talking about Peter Thiel.
0:45.4	Peter Thiel is one of the most powerful people in America,
0:48.5	but a lot of Americans still don't know his name
0:51.3	because he is also one of the shadowiest power players in America.
0:56.4	And on top of that, he's also one of those terrifying.
1:00.1	Teal is the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, and he's also a key intellectual architect of techno-fascism.
	...

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