Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire who not only supported Donald Trump in his bid for the presidency but also serves on his transition team, has apparently just bought some property in New Zealand. In fact, he’s also a citizen there, as he has dual citizenship there and the U.S. But Thiel isn’t the only one who might move to New Zealand, although it would be ironic given his position on Trump’s transition team.
Peter Thiel’s New Zealand purchase mirrors bigger trend
According to The New Yorker, Peter Thiel isn’t the only big tech investor snapping up property in New Zealand. Apparently, a widely-held belief in Silicon Valley is that doomsday is coming to the U.S. Reddit Co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman is just one of those who sees a doomsday scenario as being likely and even went so far as having corrective eye surgery because he feels it would increase his chances of surviving a disaster.
A key part of this doomsday expectation is buying property in some place deemed to be safe from any kind of disaster, and many consider New Zealand to be the last place on earth terrorists would bomb. Apparently, some feel that with Trump in the White House, the U.S. has suddenly jumped up the list of places they might be more inclined to destroy.
Former Facebook product manager Antonio Garcia Martinez bought some property not in New Zealand but on a secluded Pacific Northwest island where he also moved in generators, solar panels and ammunition—lots of it. And the list of wealthy Silicon Valley names considering a move to New Zealand or some other secluded spot goes on and on, according to The New Yorker.
Peter Thiel quietly buys more land in New Zealand
The New Zealand Herald reports that the property Peter Thiel bought “quietly” is an estate on Lake Wanaka. The property was purchased by Second Star, a company that is registered in New Zealand and of which Thiel is the only shareholder. Second Star reportedly bought the Glendhu Bay farm property described as a “vacant lifestyle block” in 2015.
The newspaper also says the property seems to fit the “sensitive land” classification, which means foreign buyers must get official permission to buy it. However, Thiel didn’t need permission because he is a citizen, reports the New Zealand Herald.
The newspaper also reports that Thiel bought a mansion in Queenstown prior to this purchase. There’s no word from the billionaire on whether he’s considering a permanent move to New Zealand or if he just wants a getaway to escape the political nightmare that the U.S. has become. After all, even Trump’s supporters must have a migraine by now, if they didn’t already.
