Skip TTS playerContinue reading article
Berlin – Entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel will be awarded the Axel Springer Award 2026, the company, which also owns BILD, announced on Friday.
Axel Springer Award rewards individuals who stand out for their entrepreneurial spirit, innovative potential and social impact. Peter Till have proven time and again that technological progress does not come from managing what already exists, but rather from the willingness to question established thought patterns and take big risks, the statement said.
From PayPal co-founder to artificial intelligence investor
This award recognizes Axel Springer as an individual who has, in extraordinary ways, created new markets, transformed existing markets and had a lasting impact on the technological, economic and social debates of our time. Peter Thiel is one of the most influential entrepreneurs and investors of the digital age. As a co-founder of PayPal, he was instrumental in laying the foundation for global digital payments. As Facebook’s first outside investor, he immediately recognized the transformative potential of social media. As the co-founder of Palantir, he created one of the most valuable companies of our time and the most important to the sustainability of democracies. Through its Founders Fund, it supports numerous companies whose innovations have shaped entire industries today, from artificial intelligence (AI) to biotechnology to space travel.
Matthias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer
Matthias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer: “Peter Thiel is one of the rare entrepreneurs who not only founds or finances companies, but also helps determine the direction of technological development. His ability to think long-term, challenge consensus, and consistently focus on innovation has inspired generations of founders. He reminds us that progress requires courage and nonconformity.”
Peter Thiel is considered an important thought leader
In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, Peter Thiel is shaping public debate about innovation, freedom and the future of Western societies, the statement said. His books, lectures and essays have sparked debate throughout the world. Entrepreneurshiptechnological progress and the requirements of an open society. In 2021 he was awarded the Frank Schirmacher Prize.
Thiel has also been attacked and discredited because of his theses. A discussion event with him as part of this year’s Wiener Festwochen was canceled due to protests. Axel Springer stands for freedom of expression and a culture of open debate.
Read more on the topic
Honor, debate and distinguished guests
The award follows in the tradition of Axel Springer. Awards: Since its inception, it has not only celebrated outstanding achievements, but also created a space for journalistic curiosity and critical analysis of the beliefs, motives and social influence of the award winners. The Prize has always been an opportunity to meet influential people through in-depth discussions, challenge their ideas and publicly discuss their views on the future.
The event will take place on September 24, 2026. Berlin and will be broadcast live – also on WELT. The program includes a eulogy from Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, and a conversation with Max Levchin, one of the co-founders of PayPal, about his early years in Silicon Valley.
About the Axel Springer Prize
The Axel Springer Award is the ideal award without prize money. Peter Thiel is the tenth winner to date. In the past, Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta), Sir Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the World Wide Web), Jeff Bezos (founder and CEO of Amazon), Shoshana Zuboff (American economist), Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla and SpaceX), Ozlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin (founders of Biontech), President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, Satya Nadella were honored by the past (CEO of Microsoft) and Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI).