Peter Thiel, eccentric billionaire patron of JD Vance, says he is thinking about leaving the US

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire who served as the sugar daddy for GOP vice presidential hopeful JD Vance’s Senate run, who helped kill Gawker, and who names his companies after bits of JRR Tolkein lore, said he's considered leaving the US.

Thiel appeared on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience and told the comic-turned-podcaster that he had recently moved from San Francisco to LA, and was also considering leaving California or the country altogether.

When Rogan asked Thiel where he might move, the billionaire said it was "tough" to find alternatives because while the US had a "lot of problems" in his estimates, other parts of the world were doing "much worse."

He said whatever move he makes, he's only going to move once, and was unsure of whether he'd move to Florida or just out of the country, naming New Zealand and Costa Rica off the top of his head.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/peter-thiel-eccentric-billionaire-patron-175735774.html

Promises, promises.

[Ocelot II]

1. Don't let the door slap you on the ass on your way out...

[SheltieLover]

5. You beat me to this answer.

So I'll say good riddance to bad rubbish.

Is this moron embarrassed? Doubt it's possible...

[2naSalit]

28. First thing I thought!

Good riddance.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

49. take shady vance with you

[UpInArms]

109. Was gonna say

Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya

[GoreWon2000]

110. Well said!

I couldn't agree more!

[luvallpeeps]

2. Won't hurt my feelings.

He’s done enough damage here.

[RidinWithHarris]

3. Ask Elon if he'll move you off the planet n/t

[magicarpet]

35. Ya,.. I was thinkin' Pluto might be a good spot to park his ass..

Have Eloon gas up a rocket for a one way trip to Pluto to dump Theil off.

[ananda]

4. Ooohh, he sees the handwriting on the wall and...

wants to live somewhere with no taxes.

[durablend]

6. And we should all care that you're leaving because.... ?

[struggle4progress]

7. Become a Mars colonist! Get in early, before the rush!

[magicarpet]

43. Mars ? That is a bit too close. He might still contaminate a functioning humanity being so close by.

A rocket that would leave this galaxy would be ideal.

[ecstatic]

8. Good riddance!

Maybe he can join tRump and tucker in Venezuela or Russia?

[Jim__]

9. "... 'tough' to find alternatives ...' Yeah, so few places looking for a king.

[FrankBooth]

10. Promises, promises

Don't tease us like this Pete.

[FalloutShelter]

11. f- right off

[Trueblue1968]

30. Yeah what they said. And ..... Dont let the door hit your stupid stinking ass on the way out of the USA !!!!!!!!

[Abolishinist]

12. And yet, he did have this to say about California

Thiel noted that the stereotypical right-wing critique of California — that it is a poorly governed state with oppressive levels of intrusion and regulation by lawmakers — is generally off-base. He said conservatives are always baffled that the state hasn't collapsed into anarchy, but is continuously thriving.

"You know, the macroeconomics of it are pretty good. You know, 40 million people. The GDP is around 4 trillion. It’s about the same as Germany with 80 million or Japan with 125 million. Japan has three times the population of California. Same GDP means one-third the per capita GDP," Theil said. "So there’s some level on which, you know, California as a whole is working, even though it doesn’t work from a governance point of view, doesn’t work for a lot of the people who live there."

[NNadir]

13. Take Musk with you asshole.

[magicarpet]

47. Wait,.. wait,.. don't forget trDUMP,.. he makes a delightful traveling companion.

Rid us of this babbling buffoon.

[WhiteTara]

14. he's still taxed on his wealth no matter what

but it would be great if took his hateful self somewhere else. Sorry for them, though.

[irisblue]

15. 👋👋👋👋👋

[keep_left]

16. Well, it's been reported that a lot of these billionaire "tech bros" already have...

...their "bug-out" bunkers ready and waiting, so I don't know what's stopping Thiel. He could decide to "go Galt" tomorrow, and we'd all be happy to be finally rid of him. I know that there were credible news articles here a few years ago about how many of the billionaires had already purchased land in places like New Zealand and South America.

[wnylib]

26. South America - Like Nazis after WWII?

[keep_left]

46. Not really--they're not exactly hiding out there--but it was reported...

...that over the last 20 years or so, a number of wealthy individuals and families bought land in places like South America. The Bushes have significant land holdings in Paraguay, for example.

[wnylib]

52. What is the lure of South America for those people?

[keep_left]

55. Not sure--you'll probably want to look it up.

I believe the land in Paraguay might have a big water source underneath it, however. At least I seem to recall that.

[oldsoftie]

74. The dollar goes a LOT further down there & the weather aint too bad either.

And most places have great people. Just dont go to Venezuela; you'll probably have all your cash taken & live in squalor.

[wnylib]

94. I know about the great people. I taught ESL for several years.

Most of my students were from Latin American countries and I developed friendships with people from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and northern South America (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela). None were from countries farther south.

I can see that US dollars being worth more there would be an attraction. Just wondered if there's anything else that makes South America attractive to wealthy US RWers.

[area51]

105. Maybe they want to join Brazil's

Confederados.

[ancianita]

72. Thiel bought his New Zealand citizenship; because he decided to invest in companies there, he got a special exemption

from citizenship requirements. They can have him and his money.

[pat_k]

17. Why not just make the U.S. more like New Zealand?

He's spending a fortune to F-up the U.S. and then complaining about it?

Peter, why not spend your money making the U.S. more like New Zealand? You know, use your money to move us toward implementing things like universal healthcare, subsidized child care, more affordable higher education, and more, just like New Zealand. As well as things like:
Lower cost of living
Capital gains taxed as ordinary income.
Higher taxes generally for earners over $180,000
Higher business tax rates.

And then there is Costa Rica.

Five tax brackets for corporate income, with a top rate of 30 percent significantly above the OECD average (23.6 percent).

Social programs, including:

Social insurance
The Caja Costariciense de Seguridad Social (CCSS) manages social insurance, which includes programs like Bono Proteger and Subsidio Emergencia. Bono Proteger provides a three-month cash transfer to workers who are laid off, temporarily suspended, or have reduced hours. Subsidio Emergencia is a one-time emergency cash transfer for vulnerable people. The CCSS also offers illness and maternity insurance (SEM), which provides comprehensive healthcare services, including disease prevention, health promotion, rehabilitation, and cures.

Red de Cuido
This program provides a variety of services for older adults, including feeding, hygiene, equipment, social care, housing, and transportation. It also offers health prevention and promotion, and allows networks to hire professional caregivers. As of March 2021, almost 80% of older adults receiving subsidized care received it through Red de Cuido.

Universal health insurance
The Program for Results project "Strengthening Universal Health Insurance" aims to improve the quality and availability of the universal health insurance system.

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) programs
These programs help Costa Rica prepare for disasters through risk prevention and reduction programs.

Higher Education Project
This project aims to improve access and quality to Costa Rica's public higher education system.

Costa Rica also has a guaranteed state pension and free education for its citizens.

[wnylib]

31. Maybe it's the hope of destroying such systems that lures him abroad.

[TommyT139]

40. He bought NZ citizenship in 2017

https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-peter-thiel-rejected-bunker-compound-survivalist-new-zealand-designs-2022-8?op=1#thiels-planned-new-zealand-estate-was-set-to-feature-a-spa-a-theater-lounge-and-a-meditation-pod-according-to-filings-with-the-local-queenstown-lakes-district-council-3

The locals don't like him much!

[meadowlander]

45. He's not interested in New Zealand for any of the things that actually make it great.

He just wants an English-speaking sparsely populated country where his money means he can push people around and live beyond the law and which is unlikely to be a target in the nuclear war/societal collapse which he sees as inevitable but doesn't want to take any responsibility for trying to stop.

[bahboo]

65. I think you're convincing me to move to...

Costa Rica. Great post btw....

[pat_k]

93. I also love their name for their version of the Dept of Justice

Ministerio de Justicia y Paz (Ministry of Justice and Peace)

and it's mission.

The Ministry of Justice and Peace has among its main functions to promote and coordinate plans and programs aimed at promoting peace at the national level from the perspective of violence prevention, supporting the Ministry of Public Security in matters of control of firearms in the country, promote alternative conflict resolution as a way to develop a culture of peace, promote the best articulation in order to comply with the mandate of the General Law of public entertainment, audiovisual and printed materials and promote participation of civil society through non-governmental organizations and any other type of body dedicated to promoting peace and non-violence.

https://www.devex.com/organizations/ministry-of-justice-and-peace-ministerio-de-justicia-y-paz-costa-rica-177975

[MrWowWow]

18. Good Riddance to You Thiel!

Take vance, your pet monkey with ya!

[central scrutinizer]

19. Somalia

No government, main industry is piracy.
You’ll fit right in, providing you pay your private security enough.

[Sky Jewels]

23. It's a Libertarian paradise!

Perfect for him!

[Autumn]

20. So long asshole.

[Hekate]

21. Isn't Thiel the yoyo who wants to build those floating libertarian countries offshore?

Buh-bye. Don’t let the door hitya where the good lord splitya.

[keep_left]

48. Yes, "seasteading" is the term, I believe.

Some political cartoonist made a parody of the kind of world they're unwittingly creating...it might have been called "Galt's Gulch" or something. Basically, all the movers and shakers "bug out" to their perfect world and soon find out there's no one to make the sandwiches!

[canuckledragger]

77. I know that one...

[keep_left]

106. Yes, that's the one!

[Sky Jewels]

22. Don't tease us, Petie.

[OnDoutside]

24. I thought he had already moved to NZ.

He's been saying that for years.

[meadowlander]

38. He's been trying to build his Apocalypse bunker here for years but hasn't had luck with the planning permission.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/18/peter-thiel-refused-consent-for-sprawling-lodge-in-new-zealand-local-council

[mountain grammy]

25. Awww and I just learned how to spell his name.

[Abolishinist]

44. I know! Just follow the

I after E except after C rule.

As in "Thiel is Wierd!"

[keep_left]

53. "I" before "E" except after "C", except when sounding like "A", ...

...as in "neighbor" or "weigh".

Unfortunately, there seem to be a million exceptions to the rule, including "weird". There's probably some linguistic story behind that, likely involving Old English or whatever.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_before_E_except_after_C

[Abolishinist]

57. Yes, it's the Old English.

Most words that seem to be exceptions to this “rule” have roots in Old English, such as eight, weigh, neighbor, sleigh, and weird.

Another famous exception is seize, which, although it does come to English from Latin through French, seems to trace ultimately back to Germanic roots.

[DFW]

96. The Germanic roots are never far away

Modern English and equivalent in contemporary High
German:

Eight — acht
Weight — gewicht
Neighbor — Nachbar
Freight — Fracht

[Think. Again.]

27. Bye.

[dhol82]

29. Bet he picks New Zealand

That’s supposedly where all the billionaires are planning to go when the world goes to hell and beyond.

[Sky Jewels]

62. Funny how they want to live in a progressive paradise

instead of in Russia or Hungary or North Korea.

[2naSalit]

32. And take that...

Phony hillbilly with you!

[Attilatheblond]

33. So, the guy who bought J.D. for the ticket has figured out his ticket is going down hard

and his taxes will be going up. Well, that's better than any poll.

[Diamond_Dog]

34. F-up the U.S. by bankrolling dumbass Vance, then leave.

Gee what a great guy.

Why doesn’t he go live in Hungary instead of that liberal hell hole New Zealand?

[brush]

36. Hope he takes trump with him. I'm sure he's checking for one with no extraciction treaty...

as there has to be a reason for such a move (being embarrassed by being know as a backer of the embassedment Vance is bad, but come on, even that doesn't require suck a drastic move).

Taxes are much higher most other developed countries because of their extremely robust, public safety nets...that have to be paid for and which make quality of life much better or everyone, not just the wealthy.

[Bev54]

37. I wish all these aholes would quit teasing people and just go.

Trump promised the same thing if he didn't win in 2020

[marble falls]

39. What sort of legal jepardy would he be trying to stay ahead of?

[Faux pas]

41. Buh bye

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

42. Chechnya is nice this time of year.

So's Somalia.

[Keepthesoulalive]

50. Oh please

Please, pretty please. Celebration

[GB_RN]

51. Then Go Ahead...

Get the fuck out. Yesterday wasn’t soon enough. Damned fascist.

[Evolve Dammit]

54. Piss off rich boy. Take Vance with you....

[usonian]

56. He bought New Zealand citizenship and had plans for seasteading.

Nothing's good enough.

[PortTack]

58. Promise? Oh please go!

[rainin]

59. Is he afraid of a future President Harris because

he fears her experience as a prosecutor will mean she'll appoint a no- nonsense attorney general who will prosecute him? I think he's looking for safe haven

[surfered]

60. Go to Russia. I am told they have lots of free speech there.

[AverageOldGuy]

61. Well . . .

[valleyrogue]

63. Oh, please do. Our gain is their loss. n/t

[GaYellowDawg]

64. Great!! John Galt your sorry fucking ass the fuck out.

No one will miss you except your sycophants.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

66. I really can't put into words my revulsion for people like Thiel.

Wherever he goes, I wish him the very worst.

[Sane1]

67. Maybe he'll head to Epstein Island

He was pal’s with Epstein. Maybe Jeff left him the key’s to the jungle gym room.
Hope he isn’t all talk and just leaves and takes Hulk Hogan with him.

[JoseBalow]

68. Wanker

[W_HAMILTON]

69. With all that money, surely he is aware that U.S. taxes worldwide income regardless of where you live, yes?

The only way in this case to avoid U.S. income taxes is to renounce your U.S. citizenship -- in which case, good riddance, mf'er!

[Figarosmom]

70. Costa rica or new zealand

How original. What a joke.

[SCantiGOP]

78. He's an idiot

New Zealand is a socialist country with universal healthcare, publicly financed elections, and their previous Prime Minister was a woman who was married to a woman.
Sounds just like what someone who thinks this country is too liberal would be looking for.

[Figarosmom]

80. I think

He thinks he sounds "cool" saying that.

[SCantiGOP]

82. When Obamacare was signed into law

There were multiple rants on the Internet of people saying they were moving to Canada or Australia or somewhere in Europe - all countries that had government-run healthcare.

[Figarosmom]

98. I know

I really don't think those people know what they are doing . They act as though it's all a game with teams and all that matters is your team must win. They have no idea what the win means for their life

[COL Mustard]

71. Can we chip in to buy him a one way ticket?

I'm sure we could fundraise that!

[MineralMan]

73. Bye, Felicia!

[peggysue2]

75. Thiel has said this before

If the tech bros, the ultra libertarian contingent, didn't get their way in this election, he was gathering his toys and leaving the country.

Good riddance!

[PlutosHeart]

76. Stay out of my State

I totally support his moving out of the country. Buyer beware though.
He announces it as if anyone would miss him.🤣

[mahina]

79. I second that idea

[Straw Man]

81. Dr. Mr. Thiel: If you don't like regulation ...

... then maybe a Third World destination would be best. But wait, they don't have the amenities you're used to.

There's the rub, asshole.

[Desert grandma]

83. With any luck,

Peter and all of his other rich billionaire friends will leave the USA when Kamala wins and when they see the light at the end of their tunnel. Things like higher corporate taxes, SCOTUS reform, repeal of Citizens United, to name a few events that will hopefully get them out of our country. We will be able to celebrate then, that's for sure. Buh buy!!

[Crowman2009]

84. Sure would be a shame if Peter moved to Russia and was stuck their due to a coup.

[Claustrum]

85. Don't bet on it. All of the right wingers love to say that.

TFG said that before 2020. Farage said that in England. They all still stays there. Thiel has all the power and money to move away from California years ago if he chooses to. They just talk a big game but actions speak louder than words. They still remain where they are, like they are lying about how bad the country and the state they remained in.

[Blue Owl]

86. Right this way sir

[Conjuay]

87. he says this as if it were a threat

Why would we care? Take Musk. Take trump. TAKE A HIKE!

[Carlitos Brigante]

88. He better not be teasing us with that shit. Can someone invent a time machine

so, we can send him on a one way trip to 1930s Germany.?

[msfiddlestix]

89. Well, what happened to his Sea-steading enterprise in the San Francisco Bay?

He and his old pal Petri Friedman, (grandson Milton Friedman) visualization of a wholly autonomous floating nation, beholding to no country, their own currency, (right about the same time of bitcoin emergence).
I didn't keep up with developments beyond 2013 when I found myself performing at a gathering in Berkeley with Petri , wife and other pals deep into laying out the blueprint for it, they had a different website at the time.
I did a quick glimpse at their current website nd now I see they're named it the seasteading institute as a non-profit and oh my the lofty progressive goals they mention.! You;d think they were die hard Liberal Environmentalists!
Ever since 2015 he comes out to the nation as a billionaire donor to TSF's campaign and all the rest and now he's whining about leaving the U.S. sick of these multi billionaire narcissistic assholes.

Here;s the link: https://www.seasteading.org/about/

I never hear or read a mention of this whenever Peter Thiel is mentioned.

[crimycarny]

90. Yet he wants to have influence on what policy should be for the rest of America

That's what annoys me with those wanting to swap policy but just pack up and leave if things go south. And it's not just on the right.

Same sort of frustration I had with celebrities like Jon Stewart, George Clooney, Rob Reiner, and other rich celebs making their thoughts on Joe Biden public. Who cares? They can all live in their mansions with enough money to move to another country, enough money to pay for medical care out of pocket if they lose insurance, no fear of losing their home, etc, if Trump gets re-elected.

The rest of us don't have the luxury. I'm grateful to Joe Biden for stepping down and doing the right thing for the country, but I'll never forgive those pampered celebs who openly stabbed him in the back while he was fighting his way back after his bad debate. He did that for the country as well. He knew timing was key.

[Warpy]

91. Don't let the door smack ya, Pete

During the Obama years, he was so convinced he'd be living under communism with black folks taking his money away and turning him into the kind of servant their ancestors had been that he bought himself citizenship in New Zealand.

Online friends there were horrified, outraged, completely PISSED OFF.

They told me they've got plans for him...

[nankerphelge]

92. GTFO!

n/t

[LudwigPastorius]

95. New Zealand doesn't want you.

They already have that fatfuck criminal Kim Dotcom.

[JohnSJ]

97. Good riddance

[Yavin4]

99. Thiel wants to live in a highly developed nation, but doesn't want to pay the taxes that make such

a nation possible. Other states don't invest in their citizenry like CA does and the results speak for themselves. You get a few wealthy people surrounded by extreme poverty. It's hard finding talent to fill jobs bc of the education system.

[UTUSN]

100. Note to him: No over-thinking! And no stopping anywhere in U.S. I miss Gawker.

[Iris]

101. Go on, then.

[DBoon]

102. He's found a country where he can buy citizenship

maybe he can find one where, for a price, they will worship him as a god

[CentralMass]

103. I would be glad to help him pack

[Klarkashton]

104. Get lost asshole.

[oasis]

107. Thiel can haul his ass out of the U.S. right now.

Why wait ? you shallow piece of shit. Haul ass now.

[Initech]

108. Bye, asshole!