The Network State

Thiel has repeatedly suggested that Greta Thunberg, the 22-year-old climate activist, is a possible candidate for Antichrist. But, given Thiel’s own criteria, perhaps he should look in a mirror.

“The way the Antichrist would take over the world is you talk about Armageddon nonstop. You talk about existential risk nonstop...” says Thiel, the Palantir co-founder and godfather of the so-called PayPal Mafia, which includes both Elon Musk and David Sacks.

A quick search for the terms “Peter Thiel” and “Armageddon” and “apocalypse” reveals pages and pages of results. Thiel is thoroughly obsessed with the subject. He appears to be talking about scary End Times, apocalyptic themes, and Antichrist stuff “nonstop” in interviews and on podcasts.

“If the Antichrist were to come to power, it would be by talking about Armageddon all the time,” he said during an interview last year. He uses the same line with Douthat, who basically squanders the interview by allowing Thiel to rehash esoteric religious ideas he has already discussed with every other podcaster in the universe.

Totally normal behavior for a 57-year-old billionaire whose surveillance tech company, Palantir, is completely wrapped up in American law enforcement, intelligence and military operations. Right?