Tech Billionaire Peter Thiel Holds Private Religious Conference in Rome

Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel is hosting a secretive invitation-only conference in Rome exploring religious themes around the Antichrist. The closed-door event has drawn criticism from Catholic Church officials and commentators.

Silicon Valley billionaire and venture capitalist Peter Thiel began hosting a private conference in Rome on Sunday, featuring closed-door discussions about the concept of the Antichrist. The secretive gathering has sparked criticism from Catholic Church leaders and religious commentators.

The invitation-only event, scheduled to continue through Wednesday, excludes media coverage and organizers have not revealed its location. According to media reports, attendees include individuals from academic institutions, technology companies, and religious organizations.

Thiel, who co-founded Palantir Technologies — an artificial intelligence software firm with extensive connections to U.S. defense and intelligence operations — has increasingly focused on religious and philosophical topics in recent years.

The 58-year-old tech mogul organized a similar series of discussions in San Francisco last year, examining the potential emergence of an Antichrist figure on the world stage. Thiel has expressed particular concern about an Antichrist who might establish global governance by promising solutions to nuclear threats, artificial intelligence risks, or climate catastrophes.

Raised in an Evangelical Christian household, Thiel has stated that his Christian faith influences his perspective on world events.

His presence in Rome has attracted notice from the Roman Catholic Church, which under Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, has criticized certain right-wing policies associated with former President Trump, whom Thiel previously supported. The Pope has also issued warnings about artificial intelligence dangers.

Catholic educational institutions in Rome have dismissed media speculation suggesting they might be hosting Thiel’s conference. Additionally, the pope’s official schedule shows no planned meeting with the tech entrepreneur.

Father Paolo Benanti, who serves as the pope’s advisor on artificial intelligence matters, published a critical essay on Saturday describing Thiel as functioning like a “political theologian” within Silicon Valley.

“Thiel’s entire action can… be read as a prolonged act of heresy against the liberal consensus: a challenge to the very foundations of civil coexistence, which he now considers outdated,” Benanti wrote on Le Grand Continent website.

The essay carried the provocative headline: “American heresy: should Peter Thiel be burned at the stake?”

L’Avvenire, a publication owned by the Italian bishops’ conference, also ran several articles this week expressing strong criticism of Thiel.

One piece argued that technology executives should not determine their own ethical boundaries, emphasizing that governments must maintain democratic supervision of digital platforms and combat the proliferation of false information.

Thiel maintains strong connections with Washington political figures, including Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism. His Rome visit follows recent trips to Italy by other prominent conservative movement figures, including Steve Bannon, Elon Musk, and Vance.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s official schedule indicates no planned meeting with Thiel during his visit.