Twenty years ago, the tech billionaire Peter Thiel and an associate founded Dialog, an invitation-only network of elites from business, academia and politics. Dialog was so secretive that it never had a public-facing website, and its participants were never identified to outsiders.

Until now.

Data related to Dialog, which Thiel created with the Silicon Valley investor Auren Hoffman, has been exposed online, opening a window onto the influential but discreet organization.

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The data, provided to Straight Arrow by a security researcher, reveals the names of current and former members, their personal email addresses and telephone numbers, as well as previously private details about the organization’s off-the-record discussions, including an event scheduled for August in Dublin, Ireland.

Dialog has often been compared in the media to the Bilderberg Group, a private forum established in 1954 to foster conversations between European and North American leaders. It, too, is shrouded in secrecy.

It is not clear from the leaked data whether Dialog engages in political activity, although the organization purchased land outside Washington last year for a permanent campus.

Thiel — a co-founder of PayPal and the data-mining firm Palantir Technologies — is a prominent supporter of Vice President JD Vance and has said he voted for President Donald Trump and donated money toward construction of Trump’s White House ballroom. Thiel donated more than $1.7 million to candidates and political parties in 2024, according to federal data.

Thiel identifies as a libertarian and once said, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”

A spokesperson for Thiel did not respond Tuesday to an email from Straight Arrow seeking comment.

‘Dialog Participant Profiles’

The leaked data from Dialog shows that its website — previously available only to members and guests — contained code that revealed 113 names of prominent people connected to the group, according to a Swiss security researcher, maia arson crimew, who is best known for discovering an exposed copy of the U.S. government’s no-fly list in 2023.

The names tied to Dialog include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Sarah Bond, the former president of Xbox at Microsoft ; Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Hollywood actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt; podcast host and author Sam Harris; and tech entrepreneur and longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson. 

The list does not indicate whether any of those named are members, conference participants or guests of Dialog. Other exposed data, however, provides greater detail into those associated with the organization.

“Dialog Participant Profiles” list details provided by people scheduled to attend the event in August: names, employers, locations, email addresses, assistants’ email addresses, birthdates, mobile phone numbers, emergency contacts, dietary restrictions, bios, predictions for 2031, “fun facts,” talents and interests, book recommendations — and even whether they are “looking for love” at Dialog.

Attendees are also asked to provide their “Political leaning” and are given the choices of “Far Left,” “Left,” “Right,” and “Far Right.” A disclaimer next to the option states that “answers WILL NOT be shared in the app or with other participants — ever.”

A profile filled out by Hollywood actor Josh Brolin includes much of the information requested by the form. Straight Arrow called the phone number listed for Brolin, who is shown in the data as a “First-Time Dialoger.” The call went to a voice mail box with what appeared to be Brolin’s voice. He did not respond to the message

Other profiles include ones for Shmuel Abramzon, Chief Economist at Israel’s Ministry of Finance; Scott Cook, the co-founder of the financial software company Intuit; and “Active Member” Lisa Gevelber, global vice president at Google.

‘It’s Fun to Be in Charge’

Dialog’s meeting in Dublin will feature sessions on topics weighty and, perhaps, less serious.

One session is titled “Bring Back Nuclear.” Another will focus on “Disinformation and Deepfakes.” Participants will hear about “Contrarian AI Takes,” “Three Predictions for Iran” and “Democracy Under Surveillance.”

One session is headlined “Build-a-Cult (Soapbox),” while another declares, “It’s Fun to Be in Charge.”

Optional activities include private tours of a distillery, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Guinness Storehouse. 

It’s unclear whether the data leak will change plans for the event.

Regardless, crimew, the security researcher, told Straight Arrow it’s surprising that the secretive organization’s information about some of the world’s most powerful people became public.

“It’s just wild to me how this once again shows that the people who run the world are so confident in their safety that they don’t really bother with any proper operational security,” she said, “not even for their ‘off the record’ secret conventions where they all network and discuss our collective future.”

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