Billionaire Peter Thiel Hires Austria’s Disgraced Former Chancellor
Kurz, who resigned amid controversy and is under investigation for corruption, will start his new role at Thiel Capital in 2022.
(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Peter Thiel’s investment firm is tapping former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to become a global strategist.
Kurz will advise Thiel Capital LLC as a part-time consultant with a focus on helping the company understand European Union and Austrian politics, according to a person close to Thiel Capital who asked not to be named.
The appointment comes amid multiple criminal probes into Kurz and his inner circle over allegations that he used taxpayer money to plant fabricated public-opinion polls in newspapers to help build his career. Kurz resigned as chancellor in October, and completely withdrew from politics earlier this month, setting off another change in power.
Kurz has denied wrongdoing. Thiel Capital hasn’t discussed the investigations with Kurz, the person said.
Kurz long cultivated connections to Thiel, a conservative power broker. The German-born venture capitalist -- one of the first investors in Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook -- has supported Republican candidates in the U.S. and endorsed Donald Trump.
Kurz, 35, is looking to move beyond a blitz career in politics that made him the youngest head of government in Europe. He was touted as a pioneer of populist conservative politics on the continent before his downfall.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.