Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue

Conspiracy theories are as abundant as sand on the beach. Conspiracies, however, are rare. And of the few that exist, even fewer are uncovered, let alone explained. This story is the exception. In 2007, a brief blog post on Valleywag, the Silicon Valley offshoot of Gawker Media, revealed the enigmatic Facebook and PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel as gay. By 2016, Gawker was forced to file for bankruptcy after a Florida court awarded $140 million over an illegally recorded sex tape of Hulk Hogan with his best friend's wife. These two seemingly unrelated events were, in fact, the culmination of a nearly decade-long plan devised by Thiel for both obvious and less obvious reasons. It became one of the most closely watched and surreal legal cases in history, and no one suspected a thing.

With his unique perspective and exclusive access to all key players, Ryan Holiday transforms these events into both an analytical examination of the controversial concept and methodology—conspiracy—and an insightful warning about the use, misuse, and consequences of power and secrecy in the modern age.

Ryan Holiday is the bestselling author of "Trust Me, I'm Lying," "The Obstacle Is the Way," "Ego Is the Enemy," and other books on marketing, culture, and the human experience. His works have been translated into twenty-eight languages and have appeared everywhere from the Columbia Journalism Review to Fast Company. His company, Brass Check, has advised companies like Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as multi-platinum musicians and some of the world's greatest authors. He lives in Austin, Texas.