BERLIN: A major proposed combat drone deal for Germany’s military is facing scrutiny from lawmakers worried about US tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s involvement in one of the defense start-ups.
Contracts for Berlin-based Stark Defense, where Thiel holds a stake, and Munich-based Helsing to supply the attack drones will come before parliament’s budget committee next week.
Greens MP Sara Nanni, a security policy spokeswoman for her party, told AFP on Thursday that the controversial right-wing billionaire’s influence raises possible problems.
The strategic importance of the deal means that investor-related risks need to be carefully vetted, she said, adding that “I have to take a very close look at it.”
The German-born Thiel, a co-founder of tech firms PayPal and Palantir and a key early investor in Facebook, is a close confidante of US President Donald Trump.
