Peter Thiel moved to Argentina to dodge taxes and nuclear war
Billionaire Peter Thiel relocated to Buenos Aires after purchasing a $12 million mansion, drawn by Argentina's libertarian president Javier Milei and concerns about U.S. taxation and nuclear war.
American technology investor Peter Thiel has decided to leave the United States, choosing Buenos Aires as his new refuge. The 58-year-old billionaire purchased an ultra-luxurious 1,600-square-meter mansion worth $12 million in the aristocratic Palermo Chico neighborhood. The move was already made in April, with his children enrolling in a local private school.
This move is not random, as Peter Thiel had begun searching for alternatives outside California since late last year, when discussions opened on a bill that would impose an annual 5% tax on the fortunes of the ultra-wealthy. To beat the January 1, 2026 deadline, Thiel left the state, while his investment firm, Thiel Capital, was relocated to Miami. Yet his real interest had already turned southward.
Ideological alignment with Javier Milei
Beyond financial incentives, Peter Thiel found the ultimate ideological ally in the person of Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei. The two share a deep hostility toward state regulations, high taxation, and the progressive political agenda. The first contact was made through Alec Oxenford, Argentina’s new ambassador to Washington, whose company had previously been funded by Thiel.
The two men met at the presidential palace, with Milei publicly stating that it was a meeting of two anarcho-capitalists, where one is now implementing libertarian ideas in practice. During the discussion, the American investor expressed interest in the sustainability of the government’s economic reforms, which managed to reduce inflation to 32.4% this April.
Fears of nuclear catastrophe and discussions about the Antichrist
The choice of the southern hemisphere is directly linked to Thiel’s concerns about the outbreak of a nuclear war. Close associates of his, such as businessman Martín Varsavsky who has built a ranch in Mendoza, consider the region as a safe backup plan for preserving civilization in the event of a conflict between the West and Russia or China. At the same time, Thiel purchased land in neighboring Uruguay, near the resort of Punta del Este, fueling scenarios about the construction of an underground shelter.
In Buenos Aires, the billionaire tried to quickly integrate into local society, playing in chess tournaments and attending the River Plate – Boca Juniors derby. At the same time, he organized a dinner at his mansion for local intellectuals and economists, where the conversation turned to the Antichrist. Thiel frequently uses this term in his lectures to describe a possible totalitarian global government, which he considers the greatest danger to humanity.
His presence, however, has divided the country. The head of the ministerial council, Manuel Adorni, welcomed the foreign tycoons to the “brand new land of freedom,” while the opposition, led by Elisa Carrió, accuses the government of surrendering the country to international capital, while also expressing fears about the activities of Palantir, Thiel’s data collection company, which in the first quarter of 2026 recorded revenues of $687 million from contracts with the American government.
