Peter Thiel cofounded the company that would become Paypal — called Confinity — in 1999 alongside Max Levchin and Luke Nosek. Confinity was launched as a developer of security software for hand-held devices like the PalmPilot, but it later pivoted toward digital money transfers. 

Thiel served as CEO of PayPal until October 2002, when eBay acquired the company for $1.5 billion. Thiel's 3.7% stake was worth a $55 million, according to SEC filings.

Thiel, now a billionaire with a net worth of $15.9 billion, according to Bloomberg, cofounded the big data analysis firm Palantir in 2003. He was the first major outside investor in Facebook and contributed early funding to Yelp and LinkedIn, along with a number of other ventures launched by his PayPal peers. Thiel's also a partner of Founders Fund, a venture capital fund based in San Francisco.

Thiel has also drawn criticism in recent years for his support of President Donald Trump and for secretly funding Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker Media, which resulted in the company shutting down Gawker and selling the company's assets.

After facilitating talks between Trump and now Sen. JD Vance, Thiel gave a record-breaking $15 million to Vance's campaign, the largest donation ever given to a single senate candidate. 

Thiel later told The Atlantic he was taking a break from politics. Business Insider later reported that he served as an FBI informant.

While his and Trump's relationship has reportedly soured, Trump's recent announcement of Vance as his vice president pick has put Thiel back to playing kingmaker.

Max Levchin is sometimes called the "consigliere" of the PayPal Mafia — in "The Godfather," a consigliere is an advisor to the boss.

Levchin made significant contributions to PayPal's anti-fraud efforts. Together with PayPal technical architect David Gausebeck, he helped create the Gausebeck-Levchin test, an early version of a CAPTCHA for commercial applications.

After PayPal was bought by eBay, Levchin founded a media-sharing service called Slide that was later bought by Google. He was also an early investor in Yelp — at one point he was the company's largest shareholder — and he served as chairman of Yelp from its founding in 2004 until July 2015.

He founded fintech company Affirm, which allows consumers to finance online purchases at the point of sale and pay for them over time. Affirm went public in 2021, raising $1.2 billion in its IPO. Levchin is also the chairman of Glow, a fertility-tracking app that helps users improve their odds of conceiving.

After eBay bought PayPal, Howery stayed on as eBay's director of corporate development until 2003. After PayPal's acquisition, he served as cofounder and partner of Founders Fund alongside Peter Thiel.

He was appointed by former President Trump in January 2019 and confirmed in September of that year. He also donated $1 million earlier this year to America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC created by fellow PayPal mafia member Elon Musk.

Howery is active in several nonprofits and serves as a founding advisor to Kiva, an organization that facilitates loans to low-income entrepreneurs. Kiva was founded in part by Premal Shah, PayPal's former product manager.

Howery is reportedly still good friends with Elon Musk. 

In 1999, Elon Musk founded a payments company called X.com, which merged with Thiel's Confinity in 2000. He briefly served as CEO of PayPal before he was ousted by the board in September 2000 and replaced with Thiel. But as the company's largest shareholder, he still walked away from the PayPal sale to eBay with a cool $165 million.

Perhaps the best-known of all the members of the PayPal mafia now, Musk's estimated net worth is $362 billion.

Since his PayPal days, Musk has moved on to oversee companies like Tesla, SpaceX, the Boring Company, and Neuralink. He also bought Twitter and renamed it X, after buying back the X.com domain name from PayPal. 

Musk, who has been a vocal supporter of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and donated more than $200 million to Republican election efforts, will also co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump announced after winning the election.

Nosek was also reportedly the person who clued in Peter Thiel to cryogenic preservation, which Thiel has since invested in heavily.

In 2005, Nosek joined Thiel and Howery as a partner at Founders Fund. In 2017, Nosek left Founders Fund to launch investment firm Gigafund, which helped raise money for SpaceX.

Nosek was also the first institutional investor in SpaceX and is a board member. He also joined the board of ResearchGate, a platform where scientists and researchers can ask questions, follow topics, and review one another's papers.

Botha went to school to be an actuary. He said he never planned to get into tech, but when he saw the opportunity in Silicon Valley, his intuition told him it was where he needed to be.

He started as PayPal's director of corporate development, went on to become vice-president of finance, and later served as CFO.

Botha is now considered one of the top tech investors in the world.

Sequoia Capital has funded tech giants like Apple, Google, YouTube, and Instagram. 

Botha as served on the board at more than a dozen companies, including Square, EventBrite, Weebly, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube, as well as 23andMe, which he resigned alongside the rest of the board in September over CEO Anne Wojcicki's proposal to take the company private.

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman served on the board of directors when PayPal was founded.

He eventually joined the company full-time as PayPal's COO. In a New York Times interview, Peter Thiel referred to Hoffman as PayPal's "firefighter in chief," noting that there were many fires that needed putting out in the company's early days.

When PayPal was acquired by eBay, Hoffman was the company's executive vice president.

Hoffman was an early investor in Facebook, Flickr, Care.com, and many more. In 2017 he joined the board of Microsoft.

Hoffman has coauthored several books on startups and professional development. He hosts the "Masters of Scale" podcast, on which he interviews founders about how they launched and scaled their companies, and is a partner at VC firm Greylock Partners. He was an early investor in OpenAI and used to serve on its board, and cofounded Inflection AI.

Hoffman has also recently criticized business leaders, including his fellow PayPal mafia members, for supporting Trump.

Like Hoffman, Sacks also served as COO at PayPal. Previously a management consultant for McKinsey & Company, David Sacks joined PayPal in 1999.

After PayPal was bought by eBay, Sacks produced and financed the box office hit "Thank You For Smoking," which would go on to be nominated for two Golden Globes. In 2006 he founded Geni.com, an online tool for building family trees.

In 2016, Sacks was briefly interim CEO at Zenefits, an HR software firm that was plagued by scandal, including allowing unlicensed brokers to sell insurance to its customers. In 2017, Sacks cofounded the early-stage investment firm Craft Ventures. 

Sacks is a serial entrepreneur and investor, with angel investments in Airbnb, Postmates, Slack, and many more. 

He's also a member of Elon Musk's inner circle and, like the Tesla CEO, is an avid Trump supporter, hosting a fundraiser for the president-elect at his home. Sacks reportedly urged Trump personally to choose Vance as his running mate, whom he was introduced to by fellow Paypal mafia member Thiel.

Trump said in December that he is appointing Sacks as his White House AI and crypto czar.

Karim and Chen were engineers, while Hurley was a web designer.

In 2005, the trio launched the video-sharing platform YouTube. Karim uploaded the platform's very first video, "Me at the zoo," an 18-second clip of Karim in front of the San Diego Zoo's elephant exhibit. It's been viewed over 292 million times.

Karim launched venture fund YVentures in 2008, through which he invested in Palantir, Reddit, Eventbrite, and Airbnb.

Hurley stepped down as CEO of YouTube in 2010. Since then, he's backed education startup Uptime and invested in several sports teams.

Chen invested in actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt's musical collaboration platform HitRecord, which in February secured $6.4 million in Series A funding.

McCormack joined PayPal in 2001, working as an assistant to Peter Thiel as the company prepared for its IPO.

In 2003, McCormack started a restaurant group in San Francisco. In 2008, he joined Thiel Capital and worked there for 5 years.

McCormack partnered up with Thiel again in 2010 to found Valar Ventures, a venture capital fund.

Valar Ventures has invested in technology startups well beyond Silicon Valley, including some in Europe and Canada. In August, Crunchbase reported the firm had closed on a $150 million funding round for a new venture capital fund, Valar Fund V.

McCormack continues to serve as a managing partner of the firm.

Entrepreneur Keith Rabois served as PayPal's executive vice president from 2000 to 2002.

He would go on to join his PayPal colleague Reid Hoffman at LinkedIn as its vice president for business and corporate development from 2005 to 2007. He was an early investor in startups like Square, where he spent two-and-a-half years as COO. 

Rabois is the CEO of OpenStore and has served on the board of directors for Yelp, Xoom, and Reddit.

He was a general partner at Founder's Fund, where he cofounded OpenStore, before returning to Khosla Ventures in early 2024.

Simmons was an engineer and Stoppelman was the vice president of technology after joining PayPal from X.com.

In 2004, the pair came up with the idea for a platform where users could leave recommendations about businesses in their area. They pitched the idea to Levchin, who provided an early investment of $1 million, and Yelp was born.

Simmons served as CTO at Yelp from 2004 until he left the role in 2010. Stoppelman is still CEO of Yelp, and has publicly spoken out in support of political issues like women's reproductive rights.

After leaving PayPal, Selby partnered with Thiel to start Clarium Capital Management.

Selby later helped manage Thiel Capital, the Thiel's family office, and started his own venture capital fund, AZ-VC, where he serves as managing partner. He still serves as managing director at Thiel Capital.

Starting in 2013, Selby began anonymously leaving tips for unsuspecting waitstaff, ranging into the thousands, and signing them "Tips for Jesus." His identity was confirmed by a New York City bartender who served him prior to receiving a $5,000 tip.

McClure served PayPal's director of marketing as for four years beginning in 2001.

According to McClure's LinkedIn, he began a program called the PayPal Developer Network, which consisted of about 300,000 developers that were using PayPal. 

He had a brief stint at Founders Fund before launching 500 Startups, an early stage venture fund. McClure stayed at 500 Startups until June 2017, when he was accused of "inappropriate behavior with women" in a New York Times report and stepped down from his role at the firm, writing an apology post titled "I'm a creep. I'm sorry."

He's since become an investor and owner in a professional sports league for ultimate frisbee and cofounded Practical Venture Capital, according to his LinkedIn.

• Yishan Wong was an engineering manager who later served as CEO of Reddit from 2011 to 2014. He then founded the reforestation company Terraformation in 2020, where he now serves as CEO.
• Jason Portnoy worked in finance at PayPal, and went on to work at Clarium Capital and Palantir. He's now a partner at VC firm Oakhouse Partners. 
• Premal Shah was a product manager at PayPal beginning in 2000, then went on to work at technology nonprofit Kiva. He's now president at financial-services startup Branch. 
• David Gausebeck was a technical architect at PayPal. Now, he serves as chief scientist at 3D modeling company Matterport. He cofounded 3D modeling company Matterport, where he now serves as chief scientist.
• Joe Lonsdale started his career as a finance intern at PayPal before moving into venture capital — he's worked at VC firms Clarium Capital, Formation 8, and 8VC. Lonsdale also cofounded Palantir, and has reportedly contributed to a Trump PAC.
• Eric Jackson was director of marketing at PayPal and went on to write a book about the company called "The PayPal Wars." He's currently the CEO of CapLinked. 

What to order: Ahi tuna poke bowl, rigatoni

What customers say: "Why didn't y'all tell me about Catalina sooner? We had a great time. First off, validated parking — a win. Emerson was awesome. I had a spicy marg, and my friend ordered a limoncello drink — both solid. The [Brussels] sprouts were a 5/5, seriously blew me away. Bread was good. Both of our entrees were delicious. We couldn't stop talking about how amazing everything was. Definitely coming back," wrote a Yelp user named Tyler G.

Learn more about Catalina Kitchen + Bar here.

What to order: Braised short ribs, skirt steak

What customers say: "Oh my! What a gem we stumbled on while in Boise! From the decor to the thoughtfully designed menu to the drinks and finally the excellent service, we had such a memorable meal. I loved the Crispy Cauliflower over Parsnip Puree with Italian Chili Crisp and Pickled Veg! Yum!!! I wish I lived in Boise. I'd be here 3 times a week!" wrote a Yelp user named DeAnna L.

Learn more about Percy here.

What to order: Prime rib sliders, shrimp tacos

What customers say: "Hillary was our server on 11/14 and she was the sweetest server I've ever had, she has great customer service as well as a great personality. The food was good and we let her know that is was my mother in laws birthday and she surprised us with a birthday dessert. Kaitlin also helped us refill our waters as well as bring out our appetizers and she was so sweet. Will definitely recommend to others as well as visit again," wrote a Yelp user named Eddianna H.

Learn more about Wolf by Vanderpump at Harveys Lake Tahoe here.

What to order: Spicy tuna, shrimp tempura

What customers say: "Had a little birthday celebration for a friend and it was a great time! Highly suggest the wagyu Tower option for meats to grill and the Udon "Mac" and cheese. Yum! The mango popsicles were a perfect end to the meal. Service was great from the start as we were greeted by a uber friendly host and our server was also friendly and helpful. Looking forward to coming back and trying the sushi options as well," wrote a Yelp user named Casey J.

Learn more about Love, Makoto here.

What to order: Tiramisu, arancini

What customers say: "I am happy to report that my experience today was top notch. The food, service, and ambiance was all that I have come to expect from this establishment. The bartender came over and apologized for the bad service I received on my last visit, and he didn't even service me. I am impressed that he was aware of the service and appreciate him for taking the time to acknowledge me. Top notch service!" wrote a Yelp user named Sauncy E.

Learn more about Carbonara here.

What to order: Brazilian flan, Parmesan-crusted galeto

What customers say: "Love this place and the concept! I knew the food would be good but it exceeded my expectations! The service was top tier and I will definitely go back," wrote a Yelp user named Lauren L.

Learn more about Casa Pollastro here.

What to order: Meatballs, Caesar salad

What customers say: "Great food, great drinks, great vibes. Service was excellent. The Caesar salad was perfectly dressed with the perfect amount of dressing, cheese, and croutons. The fingerling potatoes - with a side of truffle-topped mayo. The chai espresso martini was delicious- not too strong on the chai. I've had the pacherri on another occasion which was also very good. I'll definitely be back!" wrote a Yelp user named Dana L.

Learn more about Sartiano's here.

What to order: Chawanmushi, wagyu sukiyaki

What customers say: "FOOD - next level! I 100% recommend the unagi/caviar add-on for those who are fans. Pairings offered, too (we passed). Absolutely enjoyed experiencing the Wagyu-centric tasting menu - each dish was uniquely presented, and quality of ingredients and care to preparation was evident in every item. No substitutions or accommodations for dietary restrictions - no issue for our party SERVICE - Friendly & efficient/brisk as they are on a timetable due to timed seatings. AMBIANCE - Intimate and extra nice when you are fortunate enough to score seats directly in front of Chef Ogawa!" wrote a Yelp user named Kathleen S.

Learn more about Kappo DC here.

What to order: Toro tar tar, mushroom rice hot stone

What customers say: "Hard not to like this place with its posh design, attentive service and superior sushi offerings.... especially if someone else is paying! Yes, expensive, but if you're looking for a singular sushi experience, then this is the place. From the same people that brought you Kata Robata, so you know you're in good hands…Houston is fortunate to have so many top-tier sushi options and Katami is right there at the top of the list," wrote a Yelp user named Ronald D.

Learn more about Katami here.

What to order: Mag mile roll, butter-poached lobster

What customers say: "We celebrated my aunt's bachelorette here and it was such a great time! Our waitress Lisa walked us through the fall specials and gave some great recommendations. She was very attentive and kept our great vibes going and made us feel special and celebrated. The food was also 10/10. Highly recommend having your next girls night here!" wrote a Yelp user named Nicole S.

Learn more about The Evie here.

What to order: Hamachi, lamb chops

What customers say: "Gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS. Inside The Wave Hotel which it's beautiful itself, Nami is a stunning restaurant tucked into the back side of the building… The food is predominately seafood, wagyu, and pork. There was no poultry on the menu and really it is more like a small plates/tapas kind of place because everything is a la carte… The food was delicious, of course, and the presentation was so nice - my favorite above all was the wagyu fried dumplings, though i'm not 100% sure what it was called on the menu! Very expensive, I would like to note - with four people it was almost $600 after tip for the table. My Espresso Martini was $30, for reference!" wrote a Yelp user named Brittani W.

Learn more about Nami here.

What to order: Seafood paella, shrimp ajillo

What customers say: "Came here for my birthday dinner. Husband picked the place. We were a little late but they have a grace period of 15 minutes. We were sat right away. They also have outdoor seating. Our server was amazing…We ordered one order of the croquettes and one empanada and my husband loved them so much he ordered another order of both. The octopus was extremely tender and with the chimichurri it was delicious. I got the uni and crab pasta it was okay would definitely try something else next time. My husband got the steak and it was very tender. The dessert they gave with the happy birthday writing was a flan I think with lilikoi and it was so good! We also got the ube basque cheesecake. It was good too not too heavy," wrote a Yelp user named Amanda K.

Learn more about El Cielo here.

What to order: Braised short rib, Japanese fried chicken

What customers say: "Chef Jean Paul, Kat and Derek were a great team last night. Scallop raviolis are not to be missed as well as the fried chicken and scallop and shrimp risotto. The preparation and presentation were great. Food served fresh and straight from the kitchen. Wonderful meal with a superb service. Look forward to many more wonderful meals," wrote a Yelp user named Bert K.

Learn more about Rustica Earth Sea and Fire here.

What to order: Prime rib, lobster bisque

What customers say: "Don't let the fact this restaurant is inside a Courtyard Hotel fool you. It has nothing to do with Courtyard and this is one of the best dining experiences we have had in years...and we live in San Francisco where there is no shortage of great restaurants. […] The food and cocktails were all excellent. My wife had the empanada and I had the double pork chop. The arugula and roasted butternut squash was amazing as well. Wish Gannons and Bennett could relocate to San Francisco!" wrote a Yelp user named CJ K.

Learn more about Gannons Nashville here.

What to order: Szechuan dumplings, crab fried rice

What customers say: "This is one of the best meals I've had in Denver (and really as a whole) in a long time. Everything was tasty but my favorites were the infuse sake bombs, tofu pockets, tuna, and Szechuan dumplings. Truly, you can't go wrong with this place. I can't stop raving about it," wrote a Yelp user named Kimberly L.

Learn more about Kawa Ni here.

What to order: American red snapper, grilled octopus

What customers say: "This was a last-minute date night spot. We had driven by it countless times but this time we had time to go inside. Parking was a breeze and they even offered free valet. Our servers were always prompt and explained each of the food options well so we were t surprised when it got to our table. The oysters were so fresh, and they offered a large variety. Overall the price wasn't bad and we'll be back to try some different foods in the off season of seafood," wrote a Yelp user named Jazlyn R.

Learn more about Little's Oyster Bar here.

What to order: Mama's cochinita pibil, chicken enchiladas

What customers say: "The food is delicious, and the presentation of each dish is beautiful. The service was friendly & attentive starting at check-in, to the hosts, to our server Avelino who took his time to explain the dishes and give his recommendations. The ambience is also fantastic. Overall, a great experience," wrote a Yelp user named Aurora F.

Learn more about Paseo here.

What to order: Gh Jidori chicken wings, Gh smoked deviled eggs

What customers say: "This restaurant is located in part of an office building but truly is a find! We came in for brunch/lunch on a Sunday afternoon to football on the tv behind the bar and a pretty quiet restaurant. All the decor was beautiful, from the lighting to the tables and chairs. We ordered the shakshuka and spicy chicken sandwich. The food did take a little while to come out but boy was it delicious! And piping hot when it came to the table! The shakshuka might be my favorite that I've had with chunks of lamb sausage and satisfying crunches of cabbage. And the pita was absolutely perfect: warm, puffy and with just the right amount of chew. The chicken sandwich was juicy and well balanced with the slaw, though not particularly spicy but the winner on that plate were the fries. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfect texture. I'll definitely be back for dinner!" wrote a Yelp user named Kyna N.

Learn more about BoujieMana here.

What to order: Sturgeon pie panna cotta, Lamb loin

What customers say: "I've been to my fair share of highly rated restaurants, but this one might be my new favorite in AZ. My wife and I each got the tasting menu and were able to share the plates that we got that were different. EVERY plate was amazing. It's hard to pick a favorite, everything was plated beautifully, all the flavors worked perfectly together. Our servers were amazing and very attentive. I can't wait to come back again!" wrote a Yelp user named Kenzie Z.

Learn more about Course Restaurant here.

What to order: Beef Wellington, Chilean sea bass

What customers say: "This place is fantastic! We stopped in before a show at the Majestic Theater, which is just a block away. The staff was very friendly, and the food was excellent--as in some of the best steak you will ever have excellent! We were given complimentary glasses of champagne, risotto balls, and at dessert some mini chocolate-chip cookies. I love it when restaurants do that sort of thing as it is unexpected and very classy. The steaks we ordered were cooked perfectly to our individual tastes, and again, I cannot overstate just how good the food was…Overall this place has just become one of my new favorites for high end steak houses!" wrote a Yelp user named Scott S.

Learn more about Wicked Butcher here.

What to order: Steamed egg, cold noodle soup

What customers say: "I came here reading that they do a Thai seafood sauce so I came to confirm. And I can confirm that they DO!!! The service is quick and on point. The seafood is fresh and cooked for you!! The side dishes are usually an afterthought but it's clear that they still live up to the freshness and goodness of the seafood. I can't wait to come back!" wrote a Yelp user named Jaymie N.

Learn more about Burnin' Shell here.

What to order: Wagyu tartar, Miyazaki A5 beef, spring pea soup

What customers say: "This place is just second to none! Expensive yes. But I've been here twice and felt it was worth it each time. Decor is really beautiful, simple, very Japanese that way. Even the bathroom is an experience! Food quality and mixing of ingredients is exceptional and unique…the staff is insanely on-top of things and and polite. The entire restaurant is there to serve you and they make sure you know it. Beautiful people, beautiful environment, beautiful food, really beautiful experience. Can't say much more than that," wrote a Yelp user named Jessica S.

Learn more about Kinme Omakase here.

What to order: Smoked lamb, brown butter knafeh

What customers say: "We started with delicious crafted house cocktails. The servers are integral in understanding the Mediterranean menu. We had a six top and shared three appetizers and four entrées. The crispy cauliflower and beets were my favorite apps. The chicken thighs and grape leaf wrapped branzino were my top two. Note: the branzino is boned but head/tail on so be aware for those who don't care for that presentation…Very highly recommended Slainte!!" wrote a Yelp user named Sean M.

Learn more about Meesh Meesh here.

What to order: Tuna crispy rice, burnt-end lettuce wraps

What customers say: "The food is not only fantastic but the owners have built a culture of upscale yet non pretentious hospitality that permeates the entire staff. Favorite Nashville restaurant," wrote a Yelp user named Christina M.

Learn more about Noko Nashville here.

What to order: Lamb chops, cacio e pepe

What customers say: "I absolutely loved this place!!!! The food! The service! The ambiance! All top tier. The restaurant's decor is beautiful. There was a violinist playing throughout the night. The lighting was perfect. Our waiter was very attentive and took great care of us. Everything we ate was amazing! The drinks were also amazing. With a couple of appetizers, my friend and I were able to split an entrée due to the size. Definitely a must if you are ever in NYC," wrote a Yelp user named Nita D.

Learn more about Mēdüzā Mediterrania here.