Joe Lonsdale, the now Austin-based tech-politically connected billionaire, is an alleged listed member of the “Dialog” society.
Courtesy of Palantir
Austin billionaire Joe Lonsdale, who co-founded Palantir and the University of Austin — among other tech and political ventures — was reportedly among those involved in an invitation-only group tied to billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel.
According to WIRED, a technology, science, culture and business magazine, Lonsdale was listed as one of the members in “Dialog,” an exclusive group co-established by Thiel in 2006. The organization reportedly convenes U.S. officials, foreign government figures and Silicon Valley executives at off-the-record annual retreats.
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That was until a Swiss hacktivist who goes by maia arson crimew, and who is known for exposing the federal government’s No Fly List and surveillance-camera company Verkada, revealed a directory in the website’s code. The directory came from an anonymous tip, crimew told WIRED.
The American-Statesman reached out to Lonsdale and several of his business ventures for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Who is Joe Lonsdale?
Lonsdale is listed, according to the directory and a registration list for Dialog’s 2026 retreat, in the same society as Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes. Himes is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, which oversees agencies with which Palantir contracts.
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Off-book sessions reportedly include programming titled “Money (Does?) Buy Happiness,” “Bring Back Nuclear,” “Navigating WWIII,” “Battlefield Technologies,” “How’s Your Sex Life?” “Build-a-Cult,” and “Build-a-Party.”
Lonsdale co-founded Palantir, the data giant whose software is used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Pentagon and other entities, alongside Thiel. They are part of the “PayPal Mafia,” a highly influential, largely Silicon Valley-based group of former PayPal employees, executives and founders.
He relocated to Austin in 2020 and co-founded the University of Austin. The university “stands for America, for freedom, for excellence and for the hard work of distinguishing what true form what is merely popular.” According to the university’s website, it was established as a response to universities where “dissent is punished, merit is abandoned, students self-censor and standards collapse.”
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Lonsdale also founded the now Austin-based venture capital firm 8VC, started the Cicero Institute — a public policy organization that works to “restore liberty” — and is involved in numerous other tech and conservative political ventures.
More recently, in March, he reportedly hosted a fundraising dinner for Vice President JD Vance while Vance was in Austin, according to a memo that circulated online.
Texans reported tied to Dialog
Lonsdale was not the only Texan tied to the organization and its past events; U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and John Arnold of Arnold Ventures were reported to have been named in the registration records and to have attended past Dialog events.
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A spokesperson for Cruz and Castro did not respond to the Statesman’s requests for comment by the time of publication.
However, Axios has reported that Cruz attended past forums, and a spokeswoman for Arnold Ventures confirmed to the Statesman that Arnold had attended events in the past but hadn’t attended one since 2023.