PayPal Co-founder Peter Thiel: The U.S. has many problems, but the world is declining faster

PayPal co-founder and investor Peter Thiel stated in a public interview that while the U.S. faces structural issues such as high debt, sluggish economic growth, and low birth rates, its decline is still slower than that of other major economies. He bluntly remarked, "The U.S. does have a low birth rate—but it's better than China's; China will disappear before the U.S. does."

Thiel pointed out that U.S. technological innovation remains the only source of growth globally, with core breakthroughs in computing, the internet, and AI concentrated domestically. He criticized Europe, especially France, for having "almost missed the entire AI wave," and concluded that "perhaps this lead is not enough, perhaps there are risks, but the U.S. is beating almost the entire world."

This statement has sparked widespread discussion in the finance and tech sectors, with several English commentaries suggesting that Thiel is reiterating the "structural lead theory of the U.S."—that technological innovation capabilities have replaced traditional economic and demographic structures as the new axis of national competition.

Source: Public information