“Powerscourt Estate are currently taking legal advice as to whether or not they can affect the planned event. No further comment will be made at this time.”
Thiel was a cofounder of payments group PayPal and Palantir, a defence contractor known for mass surveillance and criticised heavily for its “strategic partnership” with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in its assault on Gaza.
A leaked schedule for the “retreat” hosted by Dialog, an invitation-only group cofounded 20 years ago by Thiel and entrepreneur Auren Hoffman, featured discussions on topics including preparations for a third World War, battlefield technologies, nuclear energy and cult-building, The Irish Times reported.
The proposed event had drawn criticism from Opposition parties, who said it should not go ahead. A protest had been planned by activists who have condemned Palantir’s role with the IDF.
Thiel, 58, is also a prominent supporter of US president Donald Trump and has donated millions of dollars to his campaigns.
The Ditch was the first Irish outlet to report on Thiel's 'Dialog' conference planning an event at Powerscourt.
Dialog is an extremely secretive organisation that includes government officials from the US and other countries, tech giants and right-wing influencers.
Other talks at the event reportedly include Build-a-Cult, Build-a-Party, Money (Does?) Buy Happiness and Bring Back Nuclear.
US outlet Wired has acquired documents belonging to Dialog, including a membership list.
The list included Trump administration officials, two US senators, six members of the so-called PayPal Mafia (former founders and early employees who worked at PayPal in the late 1990s and early 2000s), a former Middle East chief of intelligence, a sitting ambassador to the United States, private equity billionaires, television actors and best-selling authors.
