Who Is Peter Thiel? Donald Trump Aide And PayPal Co-Founder May Run For California Governor In 2018, Report Says

PayPal co-founder and Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel — who is also a big supporter of President-elect Donald Trump — may be considering a bid for California governor in 2018, a Politico report cited three Republicans familiar with the matter as saying.

According to the report, Thiel, 49, has been holding discussions about a prospective bid with a small circle of advisers like Rob Morrow, who has worked at Thiel’s California-based investment management firm and hedge fund, Clarium Capital.

The journey, however, will not be easy. California is a predominantly blue state with just over 30 percent of people having voted for Trump. Those close to the billionaire are skeptical whether he will finally enter the race but it has not been ruled out, the report said Saturday.

“Republicans have had great success at both the state and federal level in recent years electing candidates who had backgrounds in business but who were political outsiders,” Phil Cox, a former executive director at the Republican Governors Association, told Politico. “With Trump’s victory, we're going to see even more nontraditional candidates — with backgrounds in business, not politics — enter the political arena.”

Thiel, who became the first gay man to address his sexuality on the stage of the Republican National Convention as he endorsed Trump in July last year, has reportedly contributed over $8.5 million to federal candidates and committees since 2000. If he goes through with the bid, Thiel — who is worth an estimated $2.7 billion — will be able to fund his own campaign, making his path comparatively easier in a state that's known for its expensive political campaigns.

California’s Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s term is limited and a number of his party members — including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang — have already launched campaigns for 2018.