Peter Thiel May Run for Governor of California

Peter Thiel, the outspoken Donald Trump supporter and Gawker scourge, is apparently considering operating for governor of California in 2018. Politico reports that those around Thiel say an actual run appears unlikely, given his private nature, and the fact that California is historically not friendly to Republican candidates (Ronald Reagan, of course, notwithstanding). But Thiel also hasn’t said that he won’t run, which has some about him questioning if he could be floating a trial balloon, comparable to the one that Michael Bloomberg set off in the wee hours of the 2016 presidential race. A Thiel victory, following all, appears about as unlikely as Trump's bid did in 2015. And look how that turned out. Plus, like Bloomberg, the billionaire investor and innovator could also assist fund his own campaign.

Thiel, for his part, has revealed much more of himself in recent weeks. In addition to openly aiding Trump throughout his transition, he allowed The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd a uncommon chance to interview him. During the conversation, Thiel outlined his political policies and his assistance for the President-Elect. In a “Confirm or Deny” sidebar of sorts to the piece, Thiel joked (perhaps) that he’d “be fine with” Calexit, or the unlikely outcome in which California secedes from the rest of the nation. “I think it would be good for California, great for the rest of the country,” he stated. “It would assist Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign.”

Whether or not Thiel runs, specialists think we’re about to see a whole lot much more business-minded people enter the political scene. “Republicans have had fantastic achievement at both the state and federal level in current years electing candidates who had backgrounds in business, but who were political outsiders,” Phil Cox, a former Republican Governors Association executive director, told Politico. “With Trump's victory, we're going to see even much more non-traditional candidates, with backgrounds in business, not politics, enter the political arena.” For example: As my colleague Nick Bilton lately reported, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, might think about a run for President one day. It may be pertinent to note that Peter Thiel was 1 of Facebook’s first outdoors investors.