He is the evil billionaire behind Palantir. And the deep pockets behind Couch Fucker. He makes Elon look like a school yard bully. He truly believes that the world should be run by a tech king and democracy has no future.
Peter Theil, co-founder of PayPal & Palantir, is a major player in Silicon Valley & has been a long-time supporter and mentor to Vice President J. D. Vance. Vance has worked at his investment company, & Theil has made large donations to his political campaign.
From Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American (May 30, 2025):
Today, Sheera Frenkel and Aaron Krolik of the New York Times reported that Musk put billionaire Peter Thiel’s Palantir data analysis firm into place across the government, where it launched its product Foundry to organize, analyze, and merge data. Thiel provided the money behind Vice President J.D. Vance’s political career. Wired and CNN had previously reported how the administration was using this merged data to target undocumented immigrants, and now employees are detailing their concerns with how the administration could use their newly merged information against Americans more generally.
I only recently have made an attempt to learn about Thiel. What a piece of work he is. From what I can gather, he is a narcissist created by his weird childhood (and weird likely is an understatement).
I find it ironic that he is a fan of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, a tale that is a metaphor for the evils of a dictatorship (and fascism) and a story of cooperation for the greater good (something contrary to his libertarian views).
These would-be technolords disdain the sort of education (humanities) that might inspire them to think deeply and critically about the lessons in literature and history. They don’t seem to understand, for instance, that Paul Atreides in “Dune” is not someone to emulate and was not intended that way.
Yes, have read this on several occasions. Theil has stepped in with his Palantir technology and is imbedding in our government programs for complete control. I do not totally understand, but it sounds extremely dangerous for us.
Treating Musk stepping down as a PR move is missing the point, I think. Its one driver, sure, but it seems to me Musk is stepping because he's achieved what he wanted to - shut down, derail or defang any and all investigation against him and his companies by federal government authorities. From the EPA, to US Aid to the Consumer Bureau, he's systematically targeted and removed these, all while hoovering up data for his own benefit.
Like, sure, he's finally been pressured to leave, but let's not pretend its because he didn't have more to do ..
“A political consultant to the president can only serve a limited time unless approved by Congress, specifically when acting as an acting official. The Vacancies Act generally limits the service of acting officials in certain executive positions to 210 days. However, this time period can be extended if the President submits a nomination for the position to Congress.”
Musk’s time as co-President was limited unless he were to get Congressional approval, which I doubt he could do. And as you said, he accomplished what he wanted to do, which had nothing to do with eliminating waste, fraud, & abuse.
I agree with the part about investigations going away, 100%. Otherwise, with Musk's money and the power of the US gov't and military...Musk and Trump thought they could rule the world...like in the movies. They are both drug addicts with an over-inflated sense of worth. Musk cannot believe that the government was not wasting trillions of dollars, where he would be the hero for finding. Trump cannot believe that he has no influence over Putin, where he would be the hero and get him a Nobel Peace Prize. They both overplayed their hands, and the World is seeing that the emperor has no clothes.
I'm a regular at Tesla Takedown in Chicago. The funniest part is the enormous number of cops out watching our 100 or so protesters: by one count, 32, including two at each of the two doors.
I follow the stock price most days. After sinking to about 228 April 21, it skyrocketed to over 360 a month later, after nothing but the bad news cited in this essay, plus the astonishingly terrible sales of the Cybertruck, and a number of unfavorable articles in the business and EV press.
The stock currently sells at about 337, which gives a Price-Earnings ratio of an astounding 190. By comarison, the average PE ratio of the information tech sector is about 35, Ford's PE is about 8 and GM is about 7.
Apparently there are a lot of people who believe Musk's genius will benefit them.
::Soon after Musk joined the Trump administration, a decentralized protest movement known as Tesla Takedown began staging nonviolent protests across the country. A major event at the end of March included protests in 253 cities, in the US and abroad.::
Aww, but what about that worthless NeoLiberal Hack Chris Cillizza's feelings? Why don't you think of THOSE, with somebody viciously "defacing" his car by putting an anti-Musk Post-It Note on it? While he was at his son's soccer game, no less?
::a single, powerful tear slides down my face at the thought::
Writing a lengthy screed about somebody leaving (sorry, Scotch-TAPING! The HORROR!) an anti-Musk Post-It Note onto your car at your kids' soccer game as got to be Peak Clinton NeoLiberalism, same as J.D. Musk—VANCE! (Sorry, forgot for a second who REALLY runs things) campaigning against gun control from behind a literal wall of bulletproof glass is Peak Trump Republicanism:
Never liked Musk, but classifying his time as an assault on democracy is pandering to readers. I am a democrat, not a progressive. Government can work better for people and do more as Biden implemented many good programs. However, this idea that government needs to manage everything is exactly what grew Musk/Trump. We are running huge deficits, credit rating is shot. Where are democrats when talking fiscal responsibility? Personal responsibility?
What grew Trump/Musk -- I'm reversing the order because without Trump, Musk wouldn't have gotten very far -- wasn't primarily the "idea that government needs to manage everything." Far more important was the idea that government could and should benefit people of color and women in general. Go back to the mid/late 1960s, when the white Southern Democrats flooded into the GOP. In the early/mid '70s they were joined by white Evangelicals, conservative Catholics, and others freaked out by the women's movement. Then along came Reagan, who used the politics of white grievance to rake in big benefits for the rich (tax cuts, union busting, etc.)
You sound like an old-style Republican, perhaps of Eisenhower-era vintage. I wish you luck in getting your party back, or starting a new one.
Here we go the names and disparaging someone of different views. I yearn for the days political discussion without trashing someone. I am a democrat, I support ERA, affirmative action ( yes I’m showing my age), I believe we should allow people to chose their identity, diversity makes the workplace better, I was a stay at home dad, adoptive parent of two Guatemalan young men, two autistic adults, please do not put me in a box based on a couple comments, I’ll agree with out the felon musk is just a Tesla salesman. What’s wrong with a balanced budget? You seem to be like the felon conform or get out of my party. I wonder why Kamala lost.
I gain some satisfaction that Musk has done his reputation and his wealth considerable damage from his time in government. I haven't been following the news closely enough to know but I think it all too likely that Musk was pushed out by Trump-who never has loyalty to anyone-and must have known he was damaging his government's standing with the public.
I think sensible progressives with backbone, though need to condemn rather than condone the bout of vandalism of Tesla cars. While it is easy to understand the impulse, criminal damage remains a crime even if it's directed indirectly towards a (expletive deleted) pig like Elon. It's probably a bad tactical mistake as well but the moral principle is more important.
Iron Man was created in 1962 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby and first appeared in _Tales of Suspense #39 (cover date March 1963). Elon Musk wouldn’t be born until June 28, 1971 — so no, Iron Man couldn’t have been inspired by Musk. Pre-recluse era Howard Hughes, the airplane designer play boy was a more likely inspiration.
Will all this finally persuade more USians to pay much more attention to economic power and how the Reagan tax cuts (and Reaganomics in general) gutted both the middle classes and U.S. democracy? Republican presidents aided and abetted by Republican-controlled Senates packed the Supreme Court with right-wingers who aren't fans of democracy. It's frustrating and infuriating to listen to the shocked overwhelmingly white liberals who think the downward slide started with Trump I.
Doing real work and accomplishing virtuous goals and objectives is hard, too hard for elon. His stint in the trump regime (further) exposed his incompetence. elon, with all his entitlement, can't cut it in the real world.
Don’t take your eye off the ball. Peter Theil is stepping in and he’s far more dangerous that the erratic Ketamine huffer.
Hi Shervyn. I don't know anything about Peter Theil but with Trump at the wheel and deciding most appointments I find your warning all too credible,
He is the evil billionaire behind Palantir. And the deep pockets behind Couch Fucker. He makes Elon look like a school yard bully. He truly believes that the world should be run by a tech king and democracy has no future.
Peter Theil, co-founder of PayPal & Palantir, is a major player in Silicon Valley & has been a long-time supporter and mentor to Vice President J. D. Vance. Vance has worked at his investment company, & Theil has made large donations to his political campaign.
From Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American (May 30, 2025):
Today, Sheera Frenkel and Aaron Krolik of the New York Times reported that Musk put billionaire Peter Thiel’s Palantir data analysis firm into place across the government, where it launched its product Foundry to organize, analyze, and merge data. Thiel provided the money behind Vice President J.D. Vance’s political career. Wired and CNN had previously reported how the administration was using this merged data to target undocumented immigrants, and now employees are detailing their concerns with how the administration could use their newly merged information against Americans more generally.
I only recently have made an attempt to learn about Thiel. What a piece of work he is. From what I can gather, he is a narcissist created by his weird childhood (and weird likely is an understatement).
I find it ironic that he is a fan of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, a tale that is a metaphor for the evils of a dictatorship (and fascism) and a story of cooperation for the greater good (something contrary to his libertarian views).
These would-be technolords disdain the sort of education (humanities) that might inspire them to think deeply and critically about the lessons in literature and history. They don’t seem to understand, for instance, that Paul Atreides in “Dune” is not someone to emulate and was not intended that way.
I'm betting he identifies with Sauron and thinks Sauron was taken down by a bunch of lib-sympathizers.
Ahhh, that makes sense.
Yes, have read this on several occasions. Theil has stepped in with his Palantir technology and is imbedding in our government programs for complete control. I do not totally understand, but it sounds extremely dangerous for us.
Treating Musk stepping down as a PR move is missing the point, I think. Its one driver, sure, but it seems to me Musk is stepping because he's achieved what he wanted to - shut down, derail or defang any and all investigation against him and his companies by federal government authorities. From the EPA, to US Aid to the Consumer Bureau, he's systematically targeted and removed these, all while hoovering up data for his own benefit.
Like, sure, he's finally been pressured to leave, but let's not pretend its because he didn't have more to do ..
“A political consultant to the president can only serve a limited time unless approved by Congress, specifically when acting as an acting official. The Vacancies Act generally limits the service of acting officials in certain executive positions to 210 days. However, this time period can be extended if the President submits a nomination for the position to Congress.”
Musk’s time as co-President was limited unless he were to get Congressional approval, which I doubt he could do. And as you said, he accomplished what he wanted to do, which had nothing to do with eliminating waste, fraud, & abuse.
I agree with the part about investigations going away, 100%. Otherwise, with Musk's money and the power of the US gov't and military...Musk and Trump thought they could rule the world...like in the movies. They are both drug addicts with an over-inflated sense of worth. Musk cannot believe that the government was not wasting trillions of dollars, where he would be the hero for finding. Trump cannot believe that he has no influence over Putin, where he would be the hero and get him a Nobel Peace Prize. They both overplayed their hands, and the World is seeing that the emperor has no clothes.
I'm a regular at Tesla Takedown in Chicago. The funniest part is the enormous number of cops out watching our 100 or so protesters: by one count, 32, including two at each of the two doors.
I follow the stock price most days. After sinking to about 228 April 21, it skyrocketed to over 360 a month later, after nothing but the bad news cited in this essay, plus the astonishingly terrible sales of the Cybertruck, and a number of unfavorable articles in the business and EV press.
The stock currently sells at about 337, which gives a Price-Earnings ratio of an astounding 190. By comarison, the average PE ratio of the information tech sector is about 35, Ford's PE is about 8 and GM is about 7.
Apparently there are a lot of people who believe Musk's genius will benefit them.
::Soon after Musk joined the Trump administration, a decentralized protest movement known as Tesla Takedown began staging nonviolent protests across the country. A major event at the end of March included protests in 253 cities, in the US and abroad.::
Aww, but what about that worthless NeoLiberal Hack Chris Cillizza's feelings? Why don't you think of THOSE, with somebody viciously "defacing" his car by putting an anti-Musk Post-It Note on it? While he was at his son's soccer game, no less?
::a single, powerful tear slides down my face at the thought::
Writing a lengthy screed about somebody leaving (sorry, Scotch-TAPING! The HORROR!) an anti-Musk Post-It Note onto your car at your kids' soccer game as got to be Peak Clinton NeoLiberalism, same as J.D. Musk—VANCE! (Sorry, forgot for a second who REALLY runs things) campaigning against gun control from behind a literal wall of bulletproof glass is Peak Trump Republicanism:
https://x.com/EricCortellessa/status/1828491409818612105
Never liked Musk, but classifying his time as an assault on democracy is pandering to readers. I am a democrat, not a progressive. Government can work better for people and do more as Biden implemented many good programs. However, this idea that government needs to manage everything is exactly what grew Musk/Trump. We are running huge deficits, credit rating is shot. Where are democrats when talking fiscal responsibility? Personal responsibility?
What grew Trump/Musk -- I'm reversing the order because without Trump, Musk wouldn't have gotten very far -- wasn't primarily the "idea that government needs to manage everything." Far more important was the idea that government could and should benefit people of color and women in general. Go back to the mid/late 1960s, when the white Southern Democrats flooded into the GOP. In the early/mid '70s they were joined by white Evangelicals, conservative Catholics, and others freaked out by the women's movement. Then along came Reagan, who used the politics of white grievance to rake in big benefits for the rich (tax cuts, union busting, etc.)
You sound like an old-style Republican, perhaps of Eisenhower-era vintage. I wish you luck in getting your party back, or starting a new one.
Here we go the names and disparaging someone of different views. I yearn for the days political discussion without trashing someone. I am a democrat, I support ERA, affirmative action ( yes I’m showing my age), I believe we should allow people to chose their identity, diversity makes the workplace better, I was a stay at home dad, adoptive parent of two Guatemalan young men, two autistic adults, please do not put me in a box based on a couple comments, I’ll agree with out the felon musk is just a Tesla salesman. What’s wrong with a balanced budget? You seem to be like the felon conform or get out of my party. I wonder why Kamala lost.
Yes, but neither Big Brain - nor MAGA - care what happens to the hoi polloi … too far beneath them.
I gain some satisfaction that Musk has done his reputation and his wealth considerable damage from his time in government. I haven't been following the news closely enough to know but I think it all too likely that Musk was pushed out by Trump-who never has loyalty to anyone-and must have known he was damaging his government's standing with the public.
I think sensible progressives with backbone, though need to condemn rather than condone the bout of vandalism of Tesla cars. While it is easy to understand the impulse, criminal damage remains a crime even if it's directed indirectly towards a (expletive deleted) pig like Elon. It's probably a bad tactical mistake as well but the moral principle is more important.
Iron Man was created in 1962 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby and first appeared in _Tales of Suspense #39 (cover date March 1963). Elon Musk wouldn’t be born until June 28, 1971 — so no, Iron Man couldn’t have been inspired by Musk. Pre-recluse era Howard Hughes, the airplane designer play boy was a more likely inspiration.
The version in the mcu is directly inspired by musk. Not the original character!
Elon Musk, Donald Trump—crafty businessmen out to fleece the world. One can inherit money; business acumen, not so much.
Will all this finally persuade more USians to pay much more attention to economic power and how the Reagan tax cuts (and Reaganomics in general) gutted both the middle classes and U.S. democracy? Republican presidents aided and abetted by Republican-controlled Senates packed the Supreme Court with right-wingers who aren't fans of democracy. It's frustrating and infuriating to listen to the shocked overwhelmingly white liberals who think the downward slide started with Trump I.
The only thing MAGA pays attention to is The Show.
Doing real work and accomplishing virtuous goals and objectives is hard, too hard for elon. His stint in the trump regime (further) exposed his incompetence. elon, with all his entitlement, can't cut it in the real world.