Pay Pal co-founder Peter Thiel is behind a movement to bring Silicon Valley into the Donald Trump presidential administration. However, he's having a tough time finding anyone willing to be a part of it.
According to a report from the Washington Post, Thiel, who is part of Trump's transition team, has approached fellow entrepreneurs to share their best ideas.
He's also been carrying around an iPad with a list he can edit with the candidates' names, but he refuses to make the list public. Those approached have also been asked to give suggestions for other names.
While Silicon Valley has a libertarian streak to it, much like Thiel's own politics, many are liberal do-gooders, who are not fond of Trump. "Even admitting you’re a Republican can hurt your candidacy for a job," The Post writes.
Some entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to influence the government and took him up on the opportunity, however.
“There are people who are repulsed by Trump, and it’s understandable - Silicon Valley is very liberal," explained Jack Abraham, the executive director of the Thiel Fellowship. "But it’s unfortunate [that some people don’t want to contribute] because this is a unique opportunity for smart people to inject ideas.”
Others The Post interviewed were opposed. While Thiel is respected for his business sense many disagree with his politics. Still, there are so many technologies that the government has yet to regulate or pass laws. Virtual currency like bitcoin, the recreational use of drones, ride-sharing companies like Lyft and home-sharing company Airbnb. While municipalities have passed laws or regulations on the companies, the federal government has yet to weigh in.
Despite that, some approached by Thiel are concerned about Trump's toxic reputation and there could be ramifications. Thiel has approached those with whom he's invested in the past. Two he approached were Balaji Srinivasan, who helped create bitcoin and Joe Lonsdale, who helped found a data-mining startup with Thiel. Both refused to comment. Max Levchin, who helped co-found PayPal with Thiel also refused to be involved. He's been an outspoken critic of Trump in the past.
Thiel was an outspoken supporter for Trump during the 2016 campaign. He donated $1.25 million to the Trump campaign and worked hard as an advocate for Trump in the tech sector. Thiel also spent the last year on a mission to destroy Gawker Media. The website when they found that he was behind the funding for the Hulk Hogan lawsuit.
