Podcasts about silicon valley's pursuit

https://youtu.be/Eada9prCKKEGoogle DeepMind has come up with an interesting idea: using language models as optimizers. They call this approach Optimization by PROmpting, or OPRO for short. Instead of relying on traditional optimization methods, DeepMind's models are trained to generate new solutions by understanding natural language descriptions of the problem at hand and using previous solutions as a basis. This concept has been tested on a range of problems, including linear regression, traveling salesman problems, and prompt optimization tasks. The results are pretty impressive. The prompts optimized by OPRO have outperformed prompts designed by humans by up to 8% on the GSM8K dataset, and up to a whopping 50% on the Big-Bench Hard tasks dataset. So why is this significant? Well, DeepMind's OPRO has the potential to revolutionize problem-solving in various fields. By improving task accuracy and surpassing human-designed approaches, it can provide end users with more efficient and effective solutions. Whether it's in operations research, logistics, or any other domain that involves complex problem-solving, OPRO could be a game-changer. It's exciting to see how language models can be leveraged in such innovative ways to tackle real-world challenges.Video: https://youtu.be/Eada9prCKKEHey there! I have some exciting news to share with you today. NVIDIA has just released a groundbreaking software called TensorRT-LLM that can supercharge LLM inference on H100 GPUs. This is a game-changer, folks! So, what's so special about this software? Well, it comes packed with optimized kernels, pre- and post-processing steps, and even multi-GPU/multi-node communication primitives. All of this combined gives you an incredible performance boost. And the best part? You don't need to be a C++ or NVIDIA CUDA expert to use it! NVIDIA has made it super easy for developers to experiment with new LLMs. But wait, there's more! TensorRT-LLM also offers an open-source modular Python API, making customization and extensibility a breeze. You can even quantize your models to FP8 format for better memory utilization. And guess what? TensorRT-LLM is not just for H100 GPUs. Full transcript at: https://enoumen.com/2023/09/02/emerging-ai-innovations-top-trends-shaping-the-landscape-in-september-2023/Attention AI Unraveled Podcast Listeners!Are you eager to expand your understanding of artificial intelligence? Look no further than the essential book "AI Unraveled: Demystifying Frequently Asked Questions on Artificial Intelligence," now available at Apple, Google, or Amazon today!This podcast is generated using the Wondercraft AI platform (https://www.wondercraft.ai/?via=etienne), a tool that makes it super easy to start your own podcast, by enabling you to use hyper-realistic AI voices as your host. Like mine!

I'm not a doctor. But even I can certainly see that Peter Thiel is a sick, sick person. Bright, awkward and successful, Peter Thiel has risen to prominence in American society on the gamble that he can break it. A product of the Ivy League system who wants to take it down. A gay man who backs candidates that would degrade his civil rights. A hedge fund tech investor who thinks Silicon Valley hasn't done anything innovative in 50 years. A Trump backer and advisor who walked away when he got what he wanted. Peter Thiel is known as a contrarian, but it may be simpler than that. He might just be a nihilistic asshole.  Chapters Intro: 00:00:35 Chapter One: So who the fuck is this guy? 00:04:02 Chapter Two: Where did all his money come from and can I have some? 00:13:07 Chapter Three: We're all just pawns on Peter's board 00:20:53 Chapter Four: Bring it home, Max. 00:31:53 Post Show Musings: 00:37:51 Outro: 00:45:46 Resources The Atlantic: Peter Thiel Hates a Copycat ProPublica: Lord of the Roths: How Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Turned a Retirement Account for the Middle Class Into a $5 Billion Tax-Free Piggy Bank Founders Fund: Portfolio The Intercept: How Peter Thiel's Palantir Helped The Nsa Spy On The Whole World The Wall Street Journal: Tech Tycoon Peter Thiel Shies From Trump Re-Election Campaign SEC: Palantir Technologies Inc. Cato Unbound: The Education of a Libertarian The Intercept: The New New Right Was Forged in Greed and White Backlash Daily Beast: Blake Masters' Views on Gay Marriage May Surprise His Political Master Peter Thiel Book Love Max Chafkin: The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max Chafkin is the author of “The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power”.  Max is a technology reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek.  “The Contrarian” isn't just about Thiel.  It's about that, too, of course -- from PayPal to his Facebook investment to his failed hedge fund, etc.  But it's also about “Silicon Valley's political coming-of-age”, as the New York Times describes it. We discuss how Peter Thiel came to wealth, and the many controversies surrounding him.  We also discuss the calculations that led him to back Donald Trump's presidency, and ultimately take a role in Trump's transition campaign. Max Chafkin on Twitter Something Ventured The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right? Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right? Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right? Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right? Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right? Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott talks with author and journalist Max Chafkin, who is a features editor and a tech reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek. Max is the author of "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power," a biography about the enigmatic, controversial, and hugely influential power broker Peter Thiel who sits at the dynamic intersection of tech business and politics. Thiel is the co-founder of PayPal, who became a major influence in Facebook as an early investor and the founder of Palantir, a mass surveillance company with extensive government contracts. As Max explains, Thiel went from being one of the most influential people in the tech industry to becoming an early supporter of Donald Trump and a key player in the rise of the alt-right movement in America. Because Thiel was a significant contributor to the former President, many questioned the timing of the scores of government and military contracts that Palantir won soon after Trump was elected. Chafkin explains how Peter Thiel was a central influence on Donald Trump's grip on power. This was demonstrated when Thiel, a government contractor, made a political visit to Jared Kushner to build bridges between Facebook and the White House at a key moment before last year's election. The outcome of the meeting was that Mark Zuckerberg agreed to allow Trump's disinformation to stay on the ubiquitous social platform. This post uses paid affiliate links.

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Barry Ritholtz speaks with Bloomberg Businessweek features editor and tech reporter Max Chafkin, who is author of "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power." Chafkin's work has also appeared in Fast Company, Vanity Fair and The New York Times Magazine.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Paypal, Palantir, and the destruction of Gawker media over the Hulk Hogan sex tape. We explore the oeuvre of conservative tech mogul Peter Thiel, who has had a big influence on the MAGA movement. In the process, we interview Max Chafkin, author of ‘The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power'. Subscribe for $5 a month to get an extra episode of QAA every week: http://www.patreon.com/QAnonAnonymous Max Chafkin: http://twitter.com/chafkin Max Chafkin's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609711/the-contrarian-by-max-chafkin/ Episode music by Pontus Berghe Merch / Join the Discord Community / Find the Lost Episodes / Etc: http://qanonanonymous.com

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel is an enigmatic, controversial and hugely influential power broker in both Silicon Valley and the political arena. He is often seen as a libertarian, who at one point was exploring the idea of building floating stateless cities in international waters. But at the same time Thiel is very much an insider. He is actively involved in American politics, through funding political candidates, and in tech, through co-founding PayPal and Palantir, as well as supporting other venture capital projects, and is even funding an “anti-woke” university. In this episode of Big Tech, host Taylor Owen speaks with Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. Chafkin's study of Thiel seeks to understand how he has built a dual persona as a heroic Ayn Randian libertarian entrepreneurial superhero, on the one hand, and a vampiric supervillain, on the other. What has confused many about Thiel is how he seems to play on both sides of the political divide. When Thiel spoke at the Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump, many on the left couldn't square the contradiction of how, in Chafkin's words, “a futurist who happens to be gay, who happens to be an immigrant, who happens to have two Stanford degrees, you know, support this, like, reactionary, anti-tech, you know, crazy guy from New York?” By seeking to understand what one of the most influential men in both tech and politics is about, as well as his beliefs and goals, perhaps we can better understand how our societies are being reshaped. And perhaps that understanding will make us better prepared to counteract those shifts in ways that serve the best interests of society rather than those of the powerful few. 

Moderner Staat, digitaler Aufbruch, Innovation: Der Koalitionsvertrag geizt nicht mit Schlüsselwörtern zum Thema Digitalisierung. Zielsetzungen zu einer Reihe von Themen sind vorhanden und die Verhandler zeigen sich zufrieden mit der Beschlussfassung, aber wie wird die konkrete Umsetzung funktionieren, welche Zeitpläne gibt es und wie sieht die Finanzierung der Vorhaben aus? Agnieszka und Alexander sehen sich in dieser Folge die Ankündigungen und Pläne der Regierung etwas genauer an. --- » Die Themen der Folge 147: --- • Das Thema Digitalisierung im Koalitionsvertrag https://finanz-szene.de/banking/koalitionsvertrag-die-zwoelf-wichtigsten-passagen-fuer-banken-und-fintechs/ https://dynamic.faz.net/download/2021/Koalitionsvertrag2021-2025.pdf https://t3n.de/news/koalition-digitalisierung-ampel-1431953/ https://www.zdf.de/comedy/zdf-magazin-royale/zdf-magazin-royale-vom-29-oktober-2021-100.html • Der Black Friday und die Zahlen von Shopify https://www.reuters.com/business/canadas-shopify-records-black-friday-sales-up-21-2021-11-27/ https://twitter.com/harleyf/status/1464591985617080328?s=12 • Probleme und Potentiale der neuen Shopify-Suchfunktion https://omr.com/de/shopify-search-marktplatz/ • Kosmetikmarke Lush zieht sich (freiwillig) aus Social Media zurück https://www.npr.org/2020/10/02/919599745/lush-cosmetics-mark-constantine?t=1638185112673 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59380458 • Paris will E-Scooter-Geschwindigkeit regulieren https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/26/paris-asks-scooter-sharing-services-to-restrict-speed-to-10km-h/ • Volocopter, Bird und Toniebox: Die jüngsten SPAC Tops und Flops https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/business/toniebox-boxine-468-spac-boersendebuet-c/ https://dot.la/bird-stock-nyse-first-day-2655507173.html https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/automotive-mobility/volocopter-sagt-spac-ipo-ab-b/ • Betrugsverdacht bei Fitnessstudio-Marktplatz-Plattform ClassPass https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgqgaw/classpass-is-squeezing-studios-to-the-point-of-death https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7nbak/lawsuit-classpass-built-fitness-empire-on-thousands-of-fake-listings • Apple verklagt den Hersteller der Spionagesoftware Pegasus https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/technology/apple-nso-group-lawsuit.html https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/11/23/1040509/france-macron-nso-in-crisis-sanctions/ https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/apple-verklagt-hersteller-von-spitzelprogramm-pegasus-a-505f6eba-a294-46a3-a502-52bd61a97bfe • Apple und sein Augmented Reality-Headset https://9to5mac.com/2021/11/25/kuo-apples-ar-headset-to-launch-in-2022-with-mac-level-computing-power-will-operate-without-the-iphone/ • Microsoft Transformertechnologie wandelt Sprache in Bilder um https://twitter.com/ak92501/status/1463691106416214019?s=12 https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.12417 • 555 Millionen Dollar Finanzierungsrunde bei Moonpay https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/124980/moonpay-raise • Neobank Vivid kündigt inaktive Konten https://financefwd.com/de/vivid-n26-inaktive-kunden/ • China will Fahrdienst Didi zum Börsenrückgang bewegen https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/26/chinas-didi-asked-to-delist-from-us-softbank-shares-fall-report.html • Lizenz erteilt: Baidu bringt selbstfahrende Taxis auf die Straßen Pekings https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3157327/baidu-pony-ai-granted-chinas-first-licences-charge-passengers --- » Die Buchempfehlung der Woche: Max Chafkin: “The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power“ --- » Weitere Infos: https://zurueckzurzukunft.creativeconstruction.de --- » Feedback, Anregungen und Wünsche an: podcast@zurueckzurzukunft.de --- » Der wöchentliche Newsletter: https://www.creativeconstruction.de/newsletter ---

Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power (see Episode 294), returns for a conversation all about SpaceX cowboy Elon Musk. Is this guy a tech genius saving the planet from climate change and launching us into a beautiful robotic future, or a capitalist huckster whose only talent is convincing authoritarian states and a loyal fanbase of angry bros to support his business ventures? As Max and I explore in this episode, why not both? To hear the full episode: patreon.com/posts/episode-299-man-57888655

We dive into the wacky, wild and wildly inconsistent world of Peter Thiel with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Max Chafkin. He recently published a book, "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power" that goes through Thiel's origins in the industry, how he influenced other founders and how his right wing political project is shaping up. Max also makes the case for why Thiel is one of the most influential characters in the formation of the current culture in tech. And Eric, Tom and Max mull over why Thiel's worldview is at odds with itself and whether maybe that's the point.Max's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609711/the-contrarian-by-max-chafkin/ Get full access to Newcomer at www.newcomer.co/subscribe

Nervous Habits host Ricky Rosen is joined by journalist and author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, Max Chafkin, to explore issues including…. —Some of the most powerful criticisms of billionaire investor and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, and why exactly he is such a polarizing figure, —Peter Thiel's rivalry with Elon Musk and his mentorship of Mark Zuckerberg, —Peter Thiel's behind-the-scenes machinations in the 2016 presidential election and his financial support of a half-dozen Senatorial campaigns, and finally… —How Peter Thiel's anti-establishment mindset has shaped the culture of Silicon Valley over the last two and a half decades.

Palantir Technologies is a massive, publicly traded defense contractor founded on the promise of bringing Silicon Valley-style data analysis to the U.S. armed forces. And now, after years spent complaining about the “monoculture” of the Bay Area, Palantir's leaders have moved the company's headquarters to Denver. So what do they see in us? Why are people protesting them in the street? And what can we expect from our new neighbor? City Cast Denver producer Paul Karolyi speaks with Max Chafkin, reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and author of a brand new book on Palantir's co-founder Peter Thiel: The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power.  For more on Palantir's early operations in Denver, past City Cast Denver guest Ed Sealover has a good article for you right here: https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2020/11/16/palantir-technologies-denver-headquarters-move.html After speaking with Max, we reached out to the City of Denver and the State of Colorado to learn more about what kinds of negotiations or incentives helped lure Palantir to Denver, and neither said they actively recruited or offered any sort of special benefit. “But we're not surprised that our workforce talent pool and quality of life is a major selling point for any major tech company, and has made us a destination for these businesses to locate and relocate,” a spokesperson for the city added. Hate Chipotle's new queso? Got an off-menu order that changes the game? We're talking all things Denver-style, Mission-style burritos this week, and we want to hear from you! Give us your name, your neighborhood, and your hottest take, and you may hear your voicemail on the show. The number to call is (720) 500-5418‬. Sign up for our newsletter! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter! @citycastdenver

First, Jason covers Coinbase's announcement of their new NFT platform (2:06). Then, Bloomberg's Max Chafkin joins to discuss his book, "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power" (19:57). It's a wide-ranging discussion about Peter's life, business, and politics as well as a debate over the way Max framed him in the book.

First, Jason covers Coinbase's announcement of their new NFT platform (2:06). Then, Bloomberg's Max Chafkin joins to discuss his book, "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power" (19:57). It's a wide-ranging discussion about Peter's life, business, and politics as well as a debate over the way Max framed him in the book.

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Max Chafkin, the author of “The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power”, to share a consistently shocking biography of Peter Thiel, as well as to shine a light on the disturbing history of Silicon Valley. Max Chafkin is a features editor and a tech reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek. His work has also appeared in Fast Company, Vanity Fair, Inc., and The New York Times Magazine. He lives in Queens, New York with his wife, the journalist Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, and their children. Visit our website: https://lithub.com/story-type/keen-on/ Email Andrew: a.keen@me.com Watch the show live on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajkeen Watch the show live on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankeen/ Watch the show live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lithub Watch the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LiteraryHub/videos Subscribe to Andrew's newsletter: https://andrew2ec.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Thiel - is a study in contradictions - a Silicon Valley mogul, the so-called Don of the Pay Pal mafia, an alleged white nationalist, a Trump supporter, a close confidant to Mark Zuckerberg and an early investor in Facebook. Very few people have so much influence at the nexus of politics, technology and media in general. Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, joins Zev Shalev and Heidi Cuda.   Help us tell the true story of our time through an independent lens. Narativ uses emerging technologies to empower informed action. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/narativ.   Save $1300 on life insurance from https://www.policygenius.com. 

Peter Thiel - is a study in contradictions - a Silicon Valley mogul, the so-called Don of the Pay Pal mafia, an alleged white nationalist, a Trump supporter, a close confidant to Mark Zuckerberg and an early investor in Facebook. Very few people have so much influence at the nexus of politics, technology and media in general. Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, joins Zev Shalev and Heidi Cuda.   Help us tell the true story of our time through an independent lens. Narativ uses emerging technologies to empower informed action. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/narativ.   Save $1300 on life insurance from https://www.policygenius.com. 

Knowing Peter Thiel, a tech mogul, could help us understand why and how Facebook has become as it is today. Also, the influence he has brought, not only to the silicon valley, but in democracy, politics, and media in general. Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, joins Zev Shalev and Heidi Cuda. Help us tell the true story of our time through an independent lens using emerging technologies to empower informed action. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/narativ. Save $1300 on life insurance from https://www.policygenius.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Knowing Peter Thiel, a tech mogul, could help us understand why and how Facebook has become as it is today. Also, the influence he has brought, not only to the silicon valley, but in democracy, politics, and media in general. Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, joins Zev Shalev and Heidi Cuda. Help us tell the true story of our time through an independent lens using emerging technologies to empower informed action. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/narativ. Save $1300 on life insurance from https://www.policygenius.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past two decades, no industry has had a greater impact on the world than the tech industry, born and bred in California's Silicon Valley. And perhaps few individuals have done more to shape Silicon Valley than the enigmatic tech investor and entrepreneur, Peter Thiel. The billionaire venture capitalist and tech leader has been a behind-the-scenes operator influencing the tech industry and countless aspects of our contemporary way of life, from the technologies we use every day to the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, particularly during the Trump administration. But despite his power, no public figure might be quite so mysterious as Thiel. In the first major biography of Thiel, reporter Max Chafkin traces the trajectory of Thiel's singular life and worldview, from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and years at Stanford as a burgeoning conservative thinker to his founding of PayPal and Palantir, early investments in Facebook and SpaceX, and relationships with fellow tech titans Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt. Chafkin's book, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, explores the extent to which Thiel has sought to have influence far beyond California's tech industry, including funding the lawsuit that destroyed the blog Gawker and supporting conservative political candidates, including Donald Trump in 2016. To understand Silicon Valley and its impact, particularly on American political and civic life, an understanding of Thiel is a critical piece of the puzzle. Please join us for an important discussion on this critical player in the tech industry and American life. The discussion will be led by Brad Stone, best known for chronicling another enigmatic tech mogul, Amazon's Jeff Bezos. SPEAKERS Max Chafkin Features Editor and Technology Reporter, Bloomberg Businessweek; Author, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Brad Stone Senior Executive Editor, Global Technology, Bloomberg News; Author, Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past two decades, no industry has had a greater impact on the world than the tech industry, born and bred in California's Silicon Valley. And perhaps few individuals have done more to shape Silicon Valley than the enigmatic tech investor and entrepreneur, Peter Thiel. The billionaire venture capitalist and tech leader has been a behind-the-scenes operator influencing the tech industry and countless aspects of our contemporary way of life, from the technologies we use every day to the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, particularly during the Trump administration. But despite his power, no public figure might be quite so mysterious as Thiel. In the first major biography of Thiel, reporter Max Chafkin traces the trajectory of Thiel's singular life and worldview, from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and years at Stanford as a burgeoning conservative thinker to his founding of PayPal and Palantir, early investments in Facebook and SpaceX, and relationships with fellow tech titans Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt. Chafkin's book, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, explores the extent to which Thiel has sought to have influence far beyond California's tech industry, including funding the lawsuit that destroyed the blog Gawker and supporting conservative political candidates, including Donald Trump in 2016. To understand Silicon Valley and its impact, particularly on American political and civic life, an understanding of Thiel is a critical piece of the puzzle. Please join us for an important discussion on this critical player in the tech industry and American life. The discussion will be led by Brad Stone, best known for chronicling another enigmatic tech mogul, Amazon's Jeff Bezos. SPEAKERS Max Chafkin Features Editor and Technology Reporter, Bloomberg Businessweek; Author, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power Brad Stone Senior Executive Editor, Global Technology, Bloomberg News; Author, Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam and Emma host Max Chafkin, features editor and writer at Bloomberg BusinessWeek, to discuss his recent book The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. Sam and Emma start off by taking a look at Kyrsten Sinema's interaction with organizers from LUCHA Arizona before she went to hide in a restroom, as opposed to engaging with them directly, as well as the disparity between the outraged reaction to the video and the video itself. Sam and Emma are then joined by Max to discuss Peter Thiel, the "contrarian posture" that's animated his life and his investments, as well as how that informed his interactions with Gawker, Facebook, and PayPal. Max discusses whether Thiel should be considered a "good investor", despite betting against the future, leaning in so far into his contrarian sensibilities that he accurately predicted the 2008 financial crash but botched his hedge fund investments afterwards, leading directly in to him transitioning the fund into a family office, as well as directly into his conflict and legal action with Hulk Hogan against Gawker. Max then details Thiel's "small" nest egg of $1 million that served as the basis for his wealth acquisition, as well as his appetite for competition when it serves him, as well as his absolute distaste for it when it doesn't. They then dive into Thiel's relationship with former President Trump, as well as his pet project of railing against "PC culture", a phenomena that he believes is the animating force of American politics. They then end on Thiel's interactions and partnerships with Glenn Greenwald (who, in fact, Thiel's company Palantir spied on years ago), JD Vance, and the new social media platform Rumble, and how Thiel's investments in these people and companies are symbolic, and that one can draw real comparison to Thiel's political project and that of the Koch brothers: transforming a section of the Republican Party through significant financial investment. Sam and Emma are then joined by David Dayen, executive editor at The American Prospect, to discuss his recent scoop "USPS Begins Postal Banking Pilot Program" as well as his report from last Friday "The Progressive Caucus Wields Power". David begins by outlining the parameters of this new postal banking pilot program through USPS, and how, if fully implemented, this program could significantly aid "unbanked" and "underbanked" people who fall prey to predatory banking schemes as a result of a lack of access to financial services. He goes on to explain the uneasy peace between Trump USPS holdover Louis DeJoy and the USPS union, who, on this one particular issue, are aligned on working toward implementation for its potential for revenue growth for the USPS (DeJoy's interest), as well as for expanding the services of USPS to people who really need them (the union's interest). David then explains whether further implementation will require additional Congressional approval (maybe so, maybe not), how Biden should prioritize a pro-postal banking advocate for a Board of Governors vacancy that remains, the Congressional support this policy already has, and what full implementation would really look in the long term. Sam, Emma, and David end on their discussion of the Progressive Caucus showing its might in blocking the bipartisan infrastructure bill from going to a vote away from the two track structure, the history of the CPC when it was a 6-person working group started by a young anonymous backbencher named Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Pramila Jayapal's ascendance in the ranks of the CPC leading to its growing power, and whether more of these stands may result in the future as a result of this one's success. And in the Fun Half, Sam and Emma correct the record on Senator Blumenthal's Finsta flub from Thursday, and propose that the next Big Tech "disruption" should be these companies being broken up by the government. They then check in on the Facebook whistleblower report from 60 Minutes last night, Nick Clegg being referred to as a "tobacco executive" on CNN by Brian Stelter (which he tries extremely hard to differentiate from, with middling results), Fox and Friends's incredible concern about the labor shortage before Christmas (it's October! Steve Doocy can't get his favorite coffee! A fate worse than death!), and the MR crew ends the day by taking a time machine to 2010 to see what Kyrsten Sinema's thoughts on reconciliation and the filibuster were then (Different!) Plus, your calls and IM's! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here. Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ (Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com) You can now watch the livestream on Twitch Check out today's sponsors: Grove: Companies around the world produce two billion pounds of new plastic every day. Yet no matter how much we put in our recycling bin, just nine percent of plastic actually gets recycled. At Grove Collaborative, they believe it's time to stop making single-use plastic. Grove is the online marketplace that delivers healthy home, beauty, and personal care products directly to you! It takes the guesswork out of going green — Every product is guaranteed to be good for you, your family, your home, and the planet. Choosing products that are better for you AND the planet has never been easier. For a limited time when our listeners go to Grove.com/MAJORITY you will get to choose a FREE starter set with your first order. Go to Grove.com/MAJORITY to get your exclusive offer! That's Grove.com/MAJORITY. Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/ Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein's podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon! Check out The Letterhack's upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel! Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow Check out Jamie's podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!) Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop  

Elusive venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel has been thrust under the microscope in new biography The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power.

Elusive venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel has been thrust under the microscope in new biography The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. Author Max Chafkin, who is a features editor and tech reporter for Businessweek Bloomsburg, spoke to former colleagues, friends, and people who knew Thiel when he was younger to paint a picture of the notoriously private billionaire, who is a New Zealand citizen and owns a large property on the shores of Lake Wanaka. In the book Chafkin aims to pull apart the mythology of Thiel, which he says cuts both ways - the left-leaning media portrays Thiel as a supervillian behind every evil thing that Donald Trump or any tech company has ever done, but that is counterbalanced by a superhero story in tech circles which see Thiel as a great investor, builder and intellectual. Chafkin says both stories have kernels of truth, but neither gets to the core of Thiel and his motivations.

Topics: Progressive Democrats derail railroading of Progressive Democrats; Congress plays baseball while America burns; General Milley lies before Congress; French President #Sarkozy found guilty; #IATSE to strike Guests With Time Stamps: (3:20) David Does the News (1:10:35) Max Chafkin (tech reporter and author of "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power") (1:44:07) Arjun Hundal ("Deep into History" podcast) on the fall of the Republic of Rome and Doomerism among today's leftists (2:01:00) The Herschenfelds: Dr. Philip Herschenfeld (Freudian psychoanalyst), and Ethan Herschenfeld (his new comedy special "Thug, Thug Jew" is streaming on YouTube) (2:33:26) Michael A. Cohen (journalist, editor of "Truth and Consequences") Michael writes for MSNBC and The New Republic on the absurdities of American politics and Trump's "Music Man" (3:08:19) The Rev. Barry W. Lynn (Americans United for Separation of Church and State) on "Banned Book Week" (4:07:00) The Professors And Mary Anne: Professor Mary Anne Cummings, Professor Ann Li, Professor Jonathan Bick, and Professor Adnan Husain (5:15:16) Professor Harvey J. Kaye ("FDR on Democracy") and Alan Minsky (executive director of Progressive Democrats of America) (5:48:57) Emil Guillermo (host of the PETA Podcast, and columnist for The Asian American Legal Defense And Education Fund) (6:34:58) Dan Frankenberger's Community Billboard

With tensions increasing over migrants on the Polish-Belarussian border, Bianna Golodryga talks with Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Vice-President, as the EU says it's suspending visas for Belarusian officials. While the number of projected covid deaths in the U.S is dropping, Ed Yong, Staff Writer at The Atlantic, warns that we're 'already barreling towards the next pandemic'. Hari Sreenivasan talks with Max Chafkin about detailing the life of one of Silicon Valley's most influential investors in his book "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power".  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Max Chafkin is a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek. His new book is The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. “I think there's like a really good way to come up with story ideas where you basically just look for people who have given TED Talks and figure out what they're lying about. And there's also a tendency in the press to pump up these startups based on those stories…. It's worth taking a critical look at these stars of the moment. Because often there's not as much there as we think. And if you're talking about Theranos or something, there's some potential to do harm—but also it means that maybe more worthwhile efforts are not getting the attention they deserve.” Show notes: @chafkin maxchafkin.com Chafkin on Longform Chafkin's Bloomberg Businessweek archive 02:00 "Anything Could Happen" (Inc. • Mar 2008) 09:00 "A Broken Place: The Spectacular Failure Of The Startup That Was Going To Change The World" (Fast Company • Apr 2014) 15:00 The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power (Penguin Press • 2021) 22:00 Conspiracy: A True Story of Power, Sex, and a Billionaire's Secret Plot to Destroy a Media Empire (Portfolio • 2019) 25:00 "The Education of a Libertarian" (Peter Thiel • Cato Unbound • Apr 2009) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max Chafkin, author and features editor at Bloomberg BusinessWeek joins DOOMED with Matt Binder to discuss his new book THE CONTRARIAN: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power. We discuss Thiel's early life, his founding PayPal and Palantir, his "libertarian" stage, his role as a major Trump backer, his revenge on Gawker, his funding of Rumble, what drives him and the future of his backing Republican candidates and much more! On the patron half of the show: Bill Gates' bizarre interview on Epstein, Jimmy Dore and his cohorts continue to get Nina Turner's loss wrong, your calls, questions, comments and more! (Episode from the 9/22/21 livestream show.) Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/mattbinder

Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power and Bloomberg Businessweek reporter, joins The Realignment to discuss the past, present, and future of Silicon Valley and America through.

The features editor and a tech reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek discusses his new book, "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power" (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609711/the-contrarian-by-max-chafkin/).

Max Chafkin is an editor at Bloomberg Businessweek whose new book, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power tells the unbelievable true story of Peter Thiel's rise to power through strategic investment and control over massive tech firms. From his assassination of Gawker (remember the Hulk Hogan lawsuit? Thiel funded it.) to his manipulation of Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook algorithm, Thiel has emerged as an enigmatic, arguably sinister force in American politics and media. Who is this guy? And what is the endgame?

Just days before the Republican Convention in 2016, 150 Tech executives and investors published a stinging open letter condemning the man the party was about to nominate for President. Donald Trump's candidacy the tech moguls wrote was fueled by “anger, bigotry, fear of new ideas, and a fundamental belief that American is weak and in decline.” That was undoubtedly the view that most of the big players in Silicon Valley. But there was one who had a decidedly contrary view. Peter Thiel was the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir. And was the first outside investor in Facebook giving him instant entree and more than a little clout with the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And Thiel had gone all in for Trump. Speaking at the convention, donating more than one million dollars to a Trump Super PAC. And later serving on his transition team as he sought to place figures who share his unorthodox views of the world in high places in the US Government. How much influence did Thiel have during the Trump era? And how much power does he yield today in the insular world of Silicon Valley. Max Chafkin, author of the new book about Thiel called The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, joins to discuss. GUEST:Max Chafkin (@chafkin), Features Editor/Writer @BW, Author of The ContrarianHOSTS:Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo NewsDaniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo NewsVictoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES:Obtain The Contrarian - Here.Yahoo News' David Knowles original piece on critics latest blasting of Facebook - Here.Time Magazine's Who's Afraid of Peter Thiel? - Here.Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: SkullduggeryPod@yahoo.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Peter Thiel used to be a Silicon Valley investor best-known for early investment in Facebook. But in recent years he seems to have shifted into something different: A Trump-supporting billionaire who wants to remake American politics - and someone who nursed a years-long grudge against Gawker and ultimately bankrupted the publisher and its owner. Bloomberg's Max Chafkin details Thiel's story in his new book The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power; he talks about what animates Thiel, and why he thinks we'll be hearing from him and about him for a long time. Then Vox Media's Joe Posner joins to talk about making videos for YouTube, Netflix, and HBO which is now airing his newest show: Level Playing Field. Featuring: Max Chafkin (@chafkin), Author and Bloomberg reporter Joe Posner (@joeposner), of Vox Video Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max Chafkin is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, which debuts this week. The book is a fascinating, inside look into the life and rise of Silicon Valley's most powerful and controversial venture capitalist. In this interview, we discuss whether Thiel is representative of Silicon Valley or an anomaly, and dig into who he really is and what motivates him. You can find the book here: https://amzn.to/3AwAKHB

The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power by Max Chafkin A biography of venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, the enigmatic, controversial, and hugely influential power broker who sits at the dynamic intersection of tech, business, and politics “Max Chafkin's The Contrarian is much more than a consistently shocking biography of Peter Thiel, the most important investor […] The post Book Author Podcast – The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power by Max Chafkin appeared first on Book Author Podcast.

The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power by Max Chafkin A biography of venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, the enigmatic, controversial, and hugely influential power broker who sits at the dynamic intersection of tech, business, and politics “Max Chafkin's The Contrarian is much more than a consistently shocking biography of Peter READ MORE The post Chris Voss Podcast – The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power by Max Chafkin appeared first on Chris Voss Official Website.

Who is Peter Thiel? He has been called an enigmatic, controversial, and hugely influential power broker who sits at the intersection of tech, business, and politics. But who is Peter Thiel, really? This week, Joe attempts to learn more about the founder of PayPal and the early investor of Facebook as he speaks with Max Chafkin the author of the new book, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power.