Entrepreneurs Who Changed History

g GLOBALIZATION AND E-COMMERCE g Contents

PETER THIEL

1967–

One of software entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s early investments was an expensive failure, but he learned from the experience and went on to establish PayPal as the first and most successful digital money transfer service. He famously invested in social networking start-up Facebook, making millions when he sold his shares.

Although he was born in Germany, most of Peter Andreas Thiel’s early years were divided between the US and southern Africa. He was a bright student, graduating in philosophy from Stanford University, California, in 1989, and then gaining a law degree at Stanford Law ...