GUEST SPEAKER
Peter Thiel 

ISSUES DISCUSSED
Peter Thiel spoke about the basic principles that underlie innovative products and startup firms, using examples from his own experience starting up firms such as Paypal and Palantir. 
He  emphasized the importance of creating a firm or product with characteristics of monopoly, and contrasted that idea with the distinction between monopoly and competition taught in economics. He also spoke more broadly about the future of technology and its impact on economic growth in developed countries. He answered questions about his ideas applied to clean-tech and ed-tech firms. 

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 3:00 PM PT
250_Graphic-10-20_final.png
The American Presidency: A 250 Year Perspective
The Hoover Institution brings together historians Niall Ferguson and David M. Kennedy to examine today’s presidency through the long lens of American… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Monday, October 26, 2026
Korean Messiah
Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult
The Northeast Asia History Working Group of the Hoover History Lab invites you to attend Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North…
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Civics Programs And Their Critics
The Alliance for Civics in the Academy held "Civics Programs and their Critics" with John von Heyking, Anthony Ives, Hollis Robbins, and Joseph… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
overlay image