Thiel was a cofounder of payments group PayPal and Palantir, a defence contractor known for mass surveillance and criticised heavily for its “strategic partnership” with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in its assault on Gaza.

A leaked schedule for the “retreat” hosted by Dialog, an invitation-only group cofounded 20 years ago by Thiel and entrepreneur Auren Hoffman, featured discussions on topics including preparations for a third world war, battlefield technologies, nuclear energy and cult-building.

Totally normal, nothing to see here. Just a business meeting!