# Fred Thiel

> Fred Thiel is chairman and CEO of MARA Holdings, with a technology career spanning device networking, gaming, local search, private equity and advisory work. A director since 2018 and CEO since April 2021, he is leading MARA’s expansion from Bitcoin mining toward an energy-backed digital infrastructure business, including proposed AI data center developments with Starwood.

- **Role:** Chairman & CEO at MARA Holdings
- **Organizations:** MARA Holdings, Thiel Advisors, Lantronix, GameSpy Industries, Local Corporation, Sprocket, Triton Pacific Capital Partners, YPO, Auradine, Oden Technologies
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Stockholm School of Economics, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Led Lantronix during its August 2000 public offering., Held CEO roles across device networking, online gaming, local search and Bitcoin mining., Led MARA’s move toward greater ownership of energy and computing infrastructure.

## Career timeline

- **Late 1970s** — Wrote software for a London bank while in high school, according to his own account.
- **1998-2002** — Served as CEO of Lantronix; the company completed its IPO in August 2000.
- **Early 2000s** — Led GameSpy Industries before its combination with IGN.
- **2007-2012** — Managed software investments at Triton Pacific Capital Partners.
- **2014-2015** — Served as chairman and CEO of Local Corporation.
- **2017** — Co-founded Sprocket, a cryptocurrency trading infrastructure business.
- **2018** — Joined the Marathon board in April; appointment announced April 27.
- **2021** — Appointed Marathon Digital Holdings CEO effective April 26.
- **2022** — Became chairman on January 1 while remaining CEO.
- **2025** — Testified before a House Financial Services subcommittee on February 6.
- **2026** — Led MARA as it announced a Starwood partnership and completed a majority investment in Exaion.

## Achievements

- Led Lantronix during its August 2000 public offering.
- Held CEO roles across device networking, online gaming, local search and Bitcoin mining.
- Led MARA’s move toward greater ownership of energy and computing infrastructure.
- MARA reported 70.3 EH/s energized hashrate in Q2 2026; revenue declined in the same period.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — MARA reported Q2 revenue of $174.9 million, a $611.3 million net loss and energized hashrate of 70.3 EH/s. Its shareholder letter described ongoing Starwood lease discussions and the pending Long Ridge acquisition.
- **2026-02** — MARA announced a strategic agreement with Starwood for development of selected sites into hyperscale, enterprise and AI infrastructure.
- **2026-02** — MARA completed its majority acquisition of Exaion on February 20.

## Links

- Website: https://www.thieladvisors.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredthiel
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/fgthiel

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/fred-thiel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20