Joe Rogan’s admiration for billionaires has become one of the most discussed aspects of his podcast. However, his relationship with Peter Thiel stands out as something particularly noteworthy.
While Rogan has welcomed countless wealthy and powerful figures onto his show, his treatment of Thiel and the companies connected to him raises questions about where Rogan’s loyalties actually lie.
Thiel, the co-founder of Palantir Technologies, is known for his embrace of transhumanism, which is essentially the idea of merging humans with machines and artificial intelligence. When asked on a podcast whether he believed the human race should survive, Thiel paused for an uncomfortably long time before giving a vague, rambling response.
Rather than finding this alarming, Rogan defended Thiel, saying he simply takes his time to be “careful and deliberate” before answering.
He defended him by saying: “I think he’s just telling you the truth. When they said, ‘Do you think human beings should survive?’ and he had like this long pause. And then the interviewer was like, ‘The answer is yes.’ It’s not how you’re supposed to do an interview. Well, at least not how I do it. I would let him talk as long as he wants.”
The more revealing dynamic involves Palantir and its documented role in Gaza. During a conversation with comedian Theo Von, Rogan was walked through reporting that detailed how Palantir’s AI systems were used to identify targets during the conflict in Gaza.
AI tools with names like “The Gospel,” “Lavender,” and “Where’s Daddy?” were reportedly used to track and identify Palestinians for military strikes. Journalists described Gaza as the site of the first AI-powered genocide. Jamie, Rogan’s producer, pulled up the articles on screen while this conversation unfolded.
Here is where things get particularly telling. Several months after that conversation, Theo Von appeared on the podcast again and brought up the same Palantir-Gaza connection. This time, Rogan responded as though he was hearing it for the first time, acting confused and dismissive, even suggesting the sources weren’t credible.
He deflected by talking about China’s drone program and the need for America to stay competitive. He essentially argued that because rival nations have advanced military technology, Palantir should be excused from scrutiny over its role in Gaza.
What Rogan did not do, either time, was mention Peter Thiel by name in connection with Palantir. When Jamie pulled up an article that included a section titled “Who Is Peter Thiel?” Rogan ignored it completely and redirected the conversation.
Palantir’s record also includes contracts with ICE to assist in tracking and deporting undocumented immigrants. It received funding from the CIA’s venture capital arm back in 2005, and the CIA itself is among its clients. The idea that Palantir operates as any kind of outsider or challenger to government power simply does not hold up.
So, why does Rogan consistently defend Thiel and Palantir while going out of his way to avoid directly connecting the two?
