Peter Thiel Will Be Cryogenically Frozen, Isn't 'Convinced It Works'

But tech billionaire says it's the sort of thing we need to be trying
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 9, 2023 3:00 AM CDT
Peter Thiel: Here's Why I'll Be Cryogenically Frozen
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, gives a keynote address at the Bitcoin Conference, Thursday, April 7, 2022, in Miami Beach, Fla.   (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Yes, Peter Thiel has signed up to be cryogenically frozen after his death. No, the billionaire does not seem to have a lot of faith he'll actually be brought back to life someday. Asked on Bari Weiss's podcast last week whether he had actually signed up for the procedure in the hopes that he might be revived one day, the PayPal co-founder and tech investor responded, "Yes, but I think of it more as an ideological statement." He continued, per the New York Post, "I don’t necessarily expect it to work, but I think it’s the sort of thing we’re supposed to try to do." Asked whether he'd signed up any of his loved ones as well, he said again, "I’m not convinced it works. It’s more, I think we need to be trying these things. It’s not there yet.”

The 55-year-old's interest in cryogenic preservation had previously been reported, NDTV reports. Of death, Thiel reportedly said at the time, "You can accept it, you can deny it, or you can fight it. I think our society is dominated by people who are into denial or acceptance, and I prefer to fight it." In the interview with Weiss, Thiel also revealed his pick for 2024 presidential nominee: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (More Peter Thiel stories.)

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