{{Short description |American businessman}} {{Distinguish |Fred Thiele}} {{Undisclosed paid |date=January 2024}} {{Use mdy dates |date = April 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Fred Thiel | image = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age |1960 }} | birth_place = France<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ccn.com/news/business/fred-thiel-net-worth-mara-ceo-michael-saylors-strategy-bitcoin/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |title=Fred Thiel Net Worth Explained: Followed Michael Saylor's Blueprint — Ended Up With $4B in Bitcoin |date=April 3, 2025 |publisher=CCN }}</ref> | education = Stockholm School of Economics | alma_mater = | occupation = Business executive | title = | known_for = Influential in growth of cryptocurrency | boards = {{UBL |Marathon Digital Holdings |NoCell Technologies |Oden Technologies |Sequent Software |OptConnect Inc. |Gatekeeper Systems }} }}

'''Fred Thiel''' (born 1960) is an American business executive and the CEO of Thiel Advisors and cryptocurrency mining company MARA Holdings.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xhfRCgAAQBAJ&q=fred+thiel&pg=PA34|title=Learning to Love Data Science: Explorations of Emerging Technologies and Platforms for Predictive Analytics, Machine Learning, Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Optimization|last=Barlow|first=Mike|date=2015-10-27|publisher=O'Reilly Media, Inc.|isbn=978-1-4919-3656-6|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ostroff |first2=Brian |last2=Spegele |first1=Caitlin |title=Bitcoin Miners Are Giving New Life to Old Fossil-Fuel Power Plants |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-miners-are-giving-new-life-to-old-fossil-fuel-power-plants-11621594803 |access-date=23 May 2021 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=2021-05-21}}</ref> Thiel is the former CEO of GameSpy, Local Corporation, and Lantronix.

Thiel serves as past chairman of the board of the Young Presidents' Organization's technology network and is chairman of the Fintech subnetwork. He also serves on the boards of several other companies including Oden Technologies, OptConnect, Gatekeeper Systems, and Sequent Software.

== Early life and education == Thiel was born in France in a European-American household and moved to the United States when he was a one year old. Thiel attended classes at the Stockholm School of Economics and executive classes at Harvard Business School. Thiel is also fluent in English, Spanish, Swedish and French.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.cdmmedia.com/2017/05/thiel-advisors-inc-chairman-and-chief-advisor-to-mc-cio-manufacturing-summit/|title=Thiel Advisors, Inc. Chairman and Chief Advisor to MC CIO Manufacturing Summit {{!}} The CDM Media Blog|website=blog.cdmmedia.com|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> Thiel is a frequent speaker on digital trends, IT,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oreilly.com/ideas/will-big-data-make-it-infrastructure-sexy-again|title=Will Big Data Make IT Infrastructure Sexy Again?|last=Barlow|first=Mike|date=2015-05-04|website=O'Reilly Media|language=en|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> and the transformation of industries by the "internet of things".<ref name=":0" />

== Career == Thiel was vice president and general manager of the business storage unit of CMD Technology in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-15-fi-3781-story.html|title=New Rockwell Automotive Post for Yost|date=1997-06-15|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> From 1998 to 2002 Thiel was the CEO of Lantronix,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/tiny-devices-connect-you-name-it-to-the-net/|title=Tiny devices connect you-name-it to the Net|last=Shankland|first=Stephen|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> Thiel was the CEO of GameSpy from 2003 to 2004 before GameSpy merged with IGN.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}} Thiel was the managing partner of the software group at Triton Pacific Capital Partners from 2007 to 2012.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vugdAQAAMAAJ|title=The Private Equity Analyst, VOL. 17|publisher=Asset Alternatives|year=2007|pages=cvii}}</ref>

Thiel met Heath Clark, founder and CEO of Local Corporation through the Young Presidents' Organization,<ref name="sbnonline.com">{{Cite web |title=An open culture helps Local Corp. stay ahead of the game |url=https://www.sbnonline.com/article/fred-thiel-instills-open-culture-local-corp-order-stay-ahead-competition/ |access-date=2019-11-22 |website=Smart Business Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> and joined Local Corporation's board of directors in January 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pehub.com/2014/05/former-triton-pacific-executive-thiel-takes-reins-at-local-corporation/|title=Former Triton Pacific executive Thiel takes reins at Local Corporation|date=2014-05-08|website=PE Hub|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> He became the chairman of the board of Local Corporation in January 2014, and CEO in May 2014 following Clark's resignation for health reasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1259550/000119312514010984/d658630dex991.htm|title=EX-99.1|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> Thiel was CEO until 2015, and was responsible for Local Corporation's partnership with FraudLogix to prevent advertising fraud.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://geomarketing.com/local-corp-takes-aim-at-impression-fraud|title=Local Corp. Takes Aim At Impression Fraud {{!}}|date=2014-11-10|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref>

Thiel has headed Thiel Advisors, an advisory firm, since 2013.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://irishtechnews.ie/fred-thiel-on-irish-tech-ecosystem-dublin-tech-summit-and-the-six-key-dimensions-of-innovation/|title=FRED THIEL ON IRISH TECH ECOSYSTEM, DUBLIN TECH SUMMIT AND THE SIX KEY DIMENSIONS OF INNOVATION|last=Grant|first=Henry Joseph|date=February 20, 2017|website=Irish Tech News}}</ref> Through Thiel Advisors, Thiel advises organizations such as EQT AB and Graham Partners, their portfolio companies, and various mid-sized companies on value creation strategies. Thiel was appointed to the board of directors of Marathon Patent Group in April 2018<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/27/1489186/0/en/Marathon-Appoints-Fred-Thiel-to-Board-of-Directors.html |title=Marathon Appoints Fred Thiel to Board of Directors |publisher=Marathon Patent Group |date=2018-04-27 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |access-date=2019-11-22}}</ref> and became CEO of Marathon Digital Holdings in April 2021<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marathon Appoints Fred Thiel to Chief Executive Officer|url=https://ir.marathondh.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1236/marathon-appoints-fred-thiel-to-chief-executive-officer|access-date=2021-06-21|website=Marathon Digital Holdings|language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thiel, Fred}} Category:American business executives Category:1960 births Category:Living people