Peter Thiel ties put major German military drone deal on shaky ground
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- A multibillion-euro German military drone contract involving defense-tech startup Stark has sparked controversy due to the involvement of Peter Thiel, a Trump-friendly billionaire with a minority stake in the company, raising concerns about potential influence and access to sensitive defense information.
- German lawmakers have questioned the contract’s pricing and structure, noting that key details on unit costs, quantities, and optional volumes were redacted from documents, complicating parliamentary oversight.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius downplayed Thiel’s influence, stating his stake is between 3 and 4.5 percent and not a key role, but parliamentary approval is still required and faces scrutiny from coalition parties including the Greens, Christian Democrats, and Social Democrats.
- Lawmakers are
