Peter Thiel, U.S. tech billionaire and early supporter of President Donald Trump, has kicked off a secretive, invitation-only lecture series in Rome on the concept of the Antichrist, drawing scrutiny from Catholic commentators.
The invitation-only conference, which runs until Wednesday, is not open to the press and its venue has not been publicly disclosed. Organizers quoted in the media say participants are drawn from academia, technology and religious circles.
A co-founder of Palantir Technologies, an AI software company with deep ties to the U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, Thiel has in recent years devoted increasing attention to religious and philosophical ideas.
Last year he held a similar series of talks in San Francisco exploring the possibility that the Antichrist - a figure who opposes or denies Christ - could emerge on the global stage.
In particular, Thiel has said he is wary that an Antichrist will emerge who will create a one-world government on the promise of something like stopping nuclear, AI or climate-induced disaster.
