The PayPal Mafia — Power, Networks, and Ideology. (The New Oligarchs)
The PayPal Mafia — Power, Networks, and Ideology 5 The PayPal Mafia is an informal term describing a tight network of early PayPal founders and executives who went on to dominate Silicon Valley, venture capital, defense tech, finance, AI, and politics after PayPal was sold to eBay in 2002. They didn’t just get rich — they colonized the future . 1. What the “PayPal Mafia” Actually Is The term refers to a coordinated elite network , not a criminal organization. Its defining features are: Shared origin at PayPal (late 1990s–early 2000s) Mutual funding and board overlap Ideological alignment around power, hierarchy, and control Long-term strategy over short-term startups Penetration of state, military, financial, and surveillance systems Their influence operates through capital, data, platforms, and policy , not elections. 2. Core Figures (Foundational Nodes) 🔹 Peter Thiel Co-founder of PayPal Founder of Palantir Technologies Early investor in Facebook Advocate of: Corporate monar...