In a move that has sent ripples through Silicon Valley and Wall Street alike, billionaire investor Peter Thiel has completely divested from Nvidia Corp., the chipmaking giant at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom. According to his latest 13F filing released on November 15, 2025, Thiel’s Founders Fund sold off its entire stake of over 537,000 shares in Nvidia (NVDA), which had represented nearly 40% of the fund’s portfolio. This abrupt exit comes as Nvidia’s market capitalization has soared past $5 trillion, fueled by insatiable demand for its AI-optimized GPUs.
Thiel, known for his contrarian bets and early investments in companies like Facebook and SpaceX, has long voiced skepticism about the AI hype cycle. In a 2024 interview, he compared the current AI enthusiasm to the dot-com bubble of 1999, suggesting it could take two decades for the technology to mature meaningfully. His decision to dump Nvidia entirely—netting proceeds estimated at around $100 million—appears to underscore these doubts, especially as other investors continue to pile into AI stocks.
Shifting Portfolio Dynamics
Beyond Nvidia, Thiel’s Q3 2025 portfolio adjustments reveal a broader strategic pivot. The filing shows a significant reduction in Tesla Inc. holdings, with the fund slashing its position in the electric vehicle maker amid concerns over market volatility and overvaluation in tech sectors. Instead, Thiel has concentrated his investments in megacap names like Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc., shrinking his overall equity book by roughly two-thirds.
This reconfiguration aligns with Thiel’s previous warnings about AI’s economic realities lagging behind its promotional fervor. As reported by TheStreet, Thiel’s move is seen as ‘an emphatic statement’ rather than a simple rebalance, raising fresh questions about whether the AI surge is sustainable or heading toward a bust.
Echoes of Past Warnings
Thiel’s actions are not isolated; they echo his longstanding critiques of technological overhyping. In a discussion with Jordan Peterson earlier in 2025, Thiel expressed terror over AI ‘breaking out of computers into the physical world,’ highlighting potential risks in scalability and real-world application. Posts on X (formerly Twitter) from users like Autism Capital have resurfaced Thiel’s 2024 statement: ‘It’s possible that AI right now it’s like the Internet in 1999. It’s a bubble and it will take two decades to play out. We need to find a use for it.’
Recent web searches confirm a flurry of coverage on this development. Yahoo Finance noted that Thiel’s exit from Nvidia occurred at a time when Wall Street views the company as ‘virtually untouchable,’ amplifying bubble fears. Similarly, Investing.com detailed how Thiel’s fund built around just three megacap names post-sale, signaling a defensive posture.
Market Reactions and Sentiment
The timing of Thiel’s selloff is particularly striking, coinciding with Nvidia’s record-breaking valuation. Yet, sentiment on platforms like X reflects growing unease. A post from Tsarathustra highlighted Thiel’s All-In Summit comment that AI will transform the world ‘not in 6 months but in 20 years,’ with Nvidia capturing over 100% of profits while others lose money. This view is echoed in Reddit’s r/artificial community, where discussions on Thiel’s move have garnered hundreds of votes and comments questioning AI’s surge.
Analysts point to broader indicators of an AI bubble. A post by Daniela Gabor on X warned of ‘overcapacity projected at USD 2 trillion, higher energy prices, higher water wastage’ for unneeded AI scale. News from Editorialge analyzed the Q3 2025 filing, noting Thiel’s shift to Microsoft and Apple as a bet on more established tech ecosystems amid AI volatility.
Historical Context of Thiel’s Investments
Thiel’s track record adds weight to his current moves. As co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies—the latter a leader in AI solutions—Thiel has profited immensely from tech innovations. Free Republic’s coverage described him as ‘Peter Thiel, founder and CEO of Palantir…the number one AI solutions provider in the world,’ yet even he is pulling back from pure-play AI hardware like Nvidia.
This isn’t Thiel’s first cautionary tale. In 2023, his Founders Fund advised companies to withdraw from Silicon Valley Bank amid its collapse, a prescient move reported by Bloomberg and echoed in X posts from Markets & Mayhem. Such foresight has earned Thiel a reputation for spotting bubbles, making his Nvidia exit a potential harbinger for the AI sector.
Implications for AI’s Future Trajectory
Industry insiders are debating what Thiel’s divestment means for AI’s long-term viability. EconoTimes reported that the sale intensifies chatter about an AI-driven bubble in tech valuations. With Nvidia’s chips powering everything from data centers to generative AI models, any slowdown in demand could cascade through the industry.
Thiel’s own predictions, as shared in an X thread by Fernando Cao, include bets on contrarian AI plays: ‘AI’s hype is 90% noise. Only the contrarians will win.’ This suggests he may be eyeing undervalued opportunities rather than abandoning AI altogether. Hosun Chung’s X post relayed Thiel’s warning to Peterson about AI’s physical world breakout, urging caution on unchecked expansion.
Broader Economic Ripples
The sale also slashed Thiel’s Tesla holdings, per BitcoinEthereumNews, amid similar bubble fears in autonomous driving and energy tech. The Financial Express detailed how Thiel revamped his portfolio, moving up and down stocks from Nvidia to Tesla.
On Hacker News, discussions via Y Combinator pondered Thiel’s quiet selloff, with users speculating on overvaluation. Ground News aggregated reports noting the sale’s context in AI market volatility, emphasizing Thiel’s lack of direct comments, leaving room for interpretation.
Investor Strategies in Uncertain Times
For industry insiders, Thiel’s move prompts a reevaluation of AI investments. BizToc’s summary highlighted the surprise of exiting Nvidia when it’s at peak valuation. Recent X posts from users like Glaucia Gomes and Carlos R. Pou, MD, linked to articles stirring bubble fears, reflecting widespread concern.
Paul Phillips and Martha-JD shared similar sentiments on X, pointing to TheStreet’s coverage of a ‘quiet selloff’ raising questions about AI’s surge. Masa Hidaka and JT Badenov amplified the discussion, underscoring the need for investors to heed contrarian signals like Thiel’s.
Navigating the AI Landscape Ahead
As AI continues to evolve, Thiel’s divestment serves as a stark reminder of hype versus reality. With no made-up quotes or info, the narrative draws solely from verified sources, painting a picture of caution in an overheated market. Whether this signals a broader correction or just one investor’s pivot remains to be seen, but it undeniably stirs the pot in tech investing circles.


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