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The BuzzFeed sources raise the possibility that his exit could have come sooner. They say that Y Combinator ended its part-time partner program (in which Thiel was involved) sometime in 2016. Other partners moved to an “expert” program to advise startups, but Thiel didn’t follow them.
It’s not clear why the relationship is over. Both Thiel and Y Combinator president Sam Altman have declined to comment. However, it’s not as simple as assuming that his political affiliations led to his departure, as Gab speculated. Altman was vocal in defending Thiel’s involvement, arguing that diversity of ideas was “painful but critical to the health of a democratic society.” And he’s not alone in Silicon Valley — Facebook defended keeping Thiel on its board for similar reasons. As it stands, Thiel himself has partly distanced himself from Trump, warning that his presidency might end “in disaster.” This doesn’t rule out a political motivation, but it could also be a simple business decision.
Whatever the reason, the move partly defuses some of the tension created by keeping Thiel involved in Y Combinator. The venture capital firm can spend less time grappling with political questions and more time backing fledgling tech companies.
