Thiel was born in Frankfurt. As a baby, he moved with his family to the United States. He spent some time in Southern Africa. He studied philosophy at Stanford University, graduating with a B.A. in 1989. He then went on to the Stanford Law School and received his J.D. in 1992. He worked as a lawyer, speechwriter, and trader. He founded Thiel Capital in 1996. He co-founded PayPal in 1999. He was chief executive officer until he sold the company to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion.