Post by Dr. Petri I. Salonen

As many of you know, I have reviewed multiple books of industry "moguls" in this LinkedIn newsletter series. This time, I am reviewing “The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley’s Pursuit of Power” by Max Chafkin, which is a fast, unsettling look at how one investor turned tech success into lasting political and cultural influence. It follows Peter Thiel from the founding of PayPal and his early bet on Facebook to Palantir, secretive political funding, and his broader project to reshape institutions in line with his contrarian worldview. In an era where AI, data, and digital infrastructure are increasingly controlled by a small group of founders and financiers, this book offers essential context for understanding who really holds power in tech, and what they intend to do with it. If you are interested in learning of tech industry and one of the "moguls", this is one to get. #TheContrarian #PeterThiel #MaxChafkin #SiliconValley #TechPolitics #TechOligarchs #bookreview #drsalonen #drsalonenbookreview #continuouslearning