Peter Thiel gave Mitt Romney some prescient advice in 2012 - and was ignored
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
"I think the most pessimistic candidate is going to win, because if you are too optimistic it suggests you are out of touch," Thiel told Romney, as reported in George Packer's "The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America."
Thiel's point was that most of America didn't share the rosy view found in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. Instead of simply telling people that President Barack Obama was incompetent, he said, a challenger should say the country was broken and needed major change.
But Romney didn't get it.
Wrote Packer: "He assumed that the more optimistic candidate would always win. He assumed that things were still fundamentally working."
And the rest is history. Romney lost, and Trump came out with a shockingly pessimistic campaign - daring to say that America wasn't great anymore - and won.
If you're wondering why Thiel keeps supporting Republicans, check out our report on Thiel's philosophy.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- Vodafone Idea FPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP and more
- India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report
- New study forecasts high chance of record-breaking heat and humidity in India in the coming months
- Gold plunges ₹1,450 to ₹72,200, silver prices dive by ₹2,300
- Strong domestic demand supporting India's growth: Morgan Stanley
- Global NCAP accords low safety rating to Bolero Neo, Amaze