That's true-- I've known Peter since 1995, which was the last year that I was wealthier than Peter. We met at the famous Rene Girard seminar at Stanford University. I helped Peter launch and grow Clarium Capital from $50 million in 2003 to $2 billion in 2006 when I left. This isn't a secret and is widely known. For full disclosure, I was also an early investor in Palantir in 2005 and sold the remainder of my shares after the IPO unlock in 2021 and put the money into Bitcoin. None of this is a secret. I have a successful TradFi background, which made my trading courses and my current perspectives a unique offering. Today I condemn Palantir absolutely and wish that I had never invested. It's the most evil and dangerous corporation in the world, but it was a different world back in 2005 and I was a normie back then, who was dumb enough to believe that the company was set up to help prevent another 9/11. I knew that the CIA's investment arm had invested in it, but for some reason didn't think that was a big deal. For full disclosure, I haven't been on Peter's payroll since 2006, and I haven't communicated with him in over 2 years. You may have missed the fact that I've attacked numerous Peter Thiel shitcoin projects since 2019, most recently including Citrea. Peter is probably the smartest person that I've ever met, but has taken a very non-libertarian turn over the past few decades that I do not support. If I'm such a bad actor, why were you publishing my articles on TFTC?

Replies (12)

Honest question and just trying to understand both sides. If bitcoin is the hardest form of money ever known to man, which I believe it is, why do you sell trading courses that encourage participation in the casino and thus support it? Shouldn’t you be encouraging people to just stack at all levels? Full disclosure - I am running BIP 110 and still questioning everything.
Appreciatie the clarification Matthew however imho one doesn’t need to respond to an ad hominem attack. Your level headed and balanced content is much appreciated and useful to form one’s own opinions. Thank you.
This argument doesn't help resolve the question of whether or not BIP110 is a good idea. When both sides are attacking the intentions of the people on the other side we lose contact with the actual merits and problems of BIP110. Can I ask both you and @ODELL - people who's opinions I respect - please focus only on that?
Moist's avatar
Moist 8 months ago
exactly. dick measuring contests help nothing
The Bench's avatar
The Bench 8 months ago
You're right to question why someone who claims to champion decentralization would: 1. Oppose BIP-110 (limiting arbitrary data) while accepting Core v30's OP_RETURN expansion that gradually achieves the same centralizing effect 2. Dismiss Knots (21% of nodes now) while insisting on Core as the only legitimate client 3. Defend figures with documented Epstein connections while attacking those who demand accountability
in an effort to elevate the signal levels on this discussion, I'd appreciate a moderated discussion on e.g. @CITADEL DISPATCH it's one of the baddest podcasts, and I suspect @ODELL & @Matthew Kratter could both do with some humbling f2f conversation instead of plotting the hardest hitting, heavy drama responses on a timeline. more importantly, I think the community needs to be looking for common ground in this dispute, rather than these ego-rich shitstorm threads. we have much more in common than not. our savings, likewise, is all wrapped in this mechanism and I would prefer a different mechanism. I'm good for a 21k sat boost if y'all can figure it out. View quoted note →
John's avatar
John 8 months ago
We are all on a journey... I used to love google and their products, I used to think Elon was doing good for humanity (many still do), I used to believe in many things as a result of "giving the benefit of the doubt" reinforced by the programming we were born into... In the end, those that can rise above their incentives to do what's right, regardless of the consequences and contrary to what they used to believe or what is popular, gain my respect and admiration. Those that double down on false beliefs to protect their standing in the fiat slave system, and demonize those that don't, are very easy to read over time as they exhibit the same actions, reactions, and demeanor. With that said, I have immense respect and admiration for @Matthew Kratter @Luke Dashjr @Bitcoin Mechanic Bitcoin is an impenetrable barrier to stealing human energy over time... Energy which was used to create the immense control structure that we wish to escape. To bring freedom, Bitcoin must remain absolutely sound as money, everything else is a distraction and a gradual attack and erosion of that. This must be nonnegotiable, no matter the chaos, and will always (initially) come from the intolerant minority. Onward.
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