Donald Trump Ally and Gay Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Was FBI Informant: Report

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a gay man who’s been a major supporter of and donor to former President Donald Trump, has also been an FBI informant, Insider is reporting.

In 2021, Thiel began sharing information with FBI agent Johnathan Buma, sources told Insider. Buma “specializes in investigating political corruption and foreign-influence campaigns,” the outlet reports.

The FBI advised Thiel not to report on anything involving Trump or other American politicians, right-wing political activist Charles Johnson told Insider. Johnson said he introduced Thiel to Buma.

Johnson “believes that Thiel's reporting to the FBI was largely limited to foreign contacts and attempts by foreign governments to penetrate Silicon Valley,” according to Insider. Thiel has urged the bureau to look into Google’s relationship with China’s government.

Still, Thiel’s work for the FBI indicates a break with Trump. Another source “said that any assistance Thiel might have provided to the FBI should be understood as part of Thiel’s gradual distancing of himself from Trump and the broader MAGA movement, which has vigorously criticized the FBI and other federal law-enforcement agencies,” Insider notes.

Related: Peter Thiel Linked to Model Who Recently Fell to His Death in Miami: Report

In addition to Trump, Thiel has donated to Republican politicians such as J.D. Vance, now a U.S. senator from Ohio, and Blake Masters, who ran for U.S. Senate from Arizona. Both Vance and Masters have been highly critical of the FBI, with Vance claiming the agency was “harassing faithful Christians.” Both were former Thiel employees.

Thiel spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention in support of Trump and contributed $1.25 million to his campaign. But he did not donate to Trump in 2020. Thiel was reported to be unhappy with Republicans’ focus on social issues, including their opposition to abortion rights and transgender rights, and wished for a greater emphasis on economic matters.

Thiel founded PayPal and Palantir, and he was an early investor in Facebook. Palantir has sold software and services to various federal government agencies, including the FBI. He has amassed a fortune of about $4.2 million. Since 2000, he has contributed $50 million to various candidates, and he was the 10th largest individual donor in the 2022 election, according to an earlier report by Reuters.

He has decided not to fund any candidates in the 2024 races, with an exception made for former employees.

It’s unknown if Thiel is still a “confidential human source,” as major informants are called, for the FBI, Insider reports. Johnson said he is not, and Buma has said he received instructions late last year to end all contact with sources.

Buma has become a whistleblower, “alleging that the FBI under Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr shut down his efforts to determine whether Rudy Giuliani had been compromised by a Russian asset,” Insider notes.

Thiel did not comment for Insider’s story, nor did Trump, Vance, Masters, or the FBI’s press office.

Pictured: Donald Trump and Peter Thiel